Washington | The prospect of stricter work requirements for people on social safety net programs has become a sticking point in negotiations over raising the US debt ceiling, as lawmakers rush to strike a deal before the Treasury runs out of cash as soon as June 1.

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, said this week that tougher work requirements for recipients of several existing safety net programmes were a “red line” for him in crunch talks with the White House over raising the debt ceiling.

Financial Times