But for all of the party’s awareness of what it needs to do, Democrats are uncertain about how to get it all done. The coming three-week legislative sprint will test their slim majorities and President Joe Biden’s domestic policy chops, with dwindling days to avoid a government shutdown and defuse a politically toxic battle with Republicans over the nation’s borrowing limit.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are also under intense pressure to deliver on the lifeblood of Biden’s agenda: a multitrillion-dollar social spending package and a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which could both see floor votes in the coming weeks…

“It’s crunch time. … Everyone is going to use every ounce of leverage they have. I think that’s fine,” said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). “However, we all know that the worst scenario is one where we do nothing.”

House Democrats are expected to unveil the first prong in that plan early this week, when they release a stopgap spending bill to fund the government through December and, likely, suspend the nation’s borrowing limit. The text hasn’t been made public yet, but leadership is eyeing Dec. 3 as an end date, according to people familiar with the discussions. And a measure to hike the debt limit is expected to be included despite staunch Republican opposition.