Welch drums up support for raising debt ceiling  Rep. Peter
Welch gathered up 186 signatures from his fellow Democrats in
the House in a public showing of support for President Barack
Obama, ahead of Congress’ debate over the debt ceiling.  Welch
held a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, along with
Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, to
unveil their letter to Obama.  It states: “We appreciate your
strong leadership on this issue and share your view that
defaulting on our obligations would cause immediate and
irreparable harm to America’s economy. We will support a clean
extension of the debt ceiling when the House takes up this
issue.”  Welch organized a similar letter in 2011, when Congress
was embroiled in the same situation.  In Vermont, meanwhile, the
Republican and Democratic parties are trading spars in defense
of their national counterparts and their roles in the slightly
more imminent threat of a government shutdown.  To avoid a
shutdown, the Senate and House have to