The United States faces a looming debt crisis, and one Bay Area member of Congress may hold the key to averting it. The country could run out of money to pay its bills by the start of June, unless Congress agrees to raise the debt ceiling. 

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and his Republican caucus are insisting on steep cuts in spending in exchange for raising the debt limit, and they’re at an impasse with the Democrats and President Biden, who will meet next week with the Big Four Congressional leaders, including Speaker McCarthy, to try to hammer out a deal.

But meanwhile, Democrats have quietly been pursuing an alternative solution, and it hinges on a bill that is their secret weapon, known as a “discharge petition”, written by none other than East Bay Democrat Mark DeSaulnier, the Congressman from Concord. 

Congressman DeSaulnier joined KCBS Radio's Bret Burkhart, Patti Reising, and KCBS Radio's Political Reporter Doug Sovern.