by FOX NEWS' Rich Edson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - We're gearing up for a party showdown in Congress. Today, House Republicans took action to avoid a debt crisis, but the plan isnt' sitting well with some Democrats. House Republicans cross the finish line and agree to suspend the government's borrowing limit until mid-May.

"It's time for the Senate and the President to show the American people how they're ready to balance the budget over the next 10 years," says Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH).

The short term deal suspends the nation's borrowing limit, now at $16.4 trillion, until May 18. The measure also includes what Republicans call a "No Budget, No Pay" provision. That freezes Congressional salaries beginning April 15 if the House and Senate fail to pass a budget.

"It took one week in which their paychecks were on the line that now the Senate is going to step up and do the right thing," says House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA).

Some House Democrats say the Republican bill is a gimmick.

"This simply creates more uncertainty, another fiscal cliff, and yet another economic case of sabotage against the American public," says Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA).

"This 90-day kicking the bill down the can down the road has got to stop," says Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

Congress now moves to a larger budget fight with automatic spending cuts known as the sequester, scheduled to hit the federal budget at the end of February. Also, government spending authority on a large portion of the budget expires in March. The bill now heads to the Senate where leaders say they'll likely pass the measure. The White House says the President prefers a longer term debt ceiling solution, though he'll likely sign the smaller provision. Under this bill if the Senate and House fail to pass a budget their pay simply goes into escrow and they'll be paid at the end of this Congress in 2015.
Delay becoming the norm for US gov't