31.   Clinton has vetoed previous bills to raise the ceiling, designed to avert a US government default, because of conditions attached to the legislation by his Republican adversaries.

32.   Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin on Thursday will take three measures to avoid a US government default, notably by tapping into government trust funds.

33.   Treasury officials feared that Congress would not be able to present Clinton with the spending and debt-ceiling measures before the government defaults next Wednesday.

34.   Two influential Republican senators said Sunday Congress would approve a higher debt ceiling before a feared government default, but they cautioned strings would be attached.

35.   Markets were reassured by emergency measures taken on Monday by US Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin to avoid a federal government payment default.

36.   President Bill Clinton Saturday accused Congress of using the threat of a government default as leverage in their budget talks, and called on lawmakers to ditch the strategy.

37.   President Bill Clinton was expected to sign the measure, which will avert a government default later this month.

38.   Senate Republican leaders and the White House predicted Tuesday that Congress would soon approve short-term legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling and avert a government default.