Manchin floats Democrats unilaterally hiking debt-ceiling with expedited support from GOP

Sen. Joe Manchin III, a key swing vote for the White House’s legislative agenda, said on Monday that Democrats could unilaterally hike the nation’s borrowing limit with minor help from Republicans. 

Mr. Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, said Republican and Democratic leaders were discussing the strategy ahead of the Dec. 15 deadline, at which point the U.S. would be at risk of not being able to pay its debts. 

Under the proposal, Democrats would use the budget reconciliation process to raise the debt ceiling. Reconciliation, which Democrats are using in an...