Graham is carefully calibrating how hard to press his party’s opposition to raising the debt ceiling, and his ultimate goal is critical to understanding the Senate’s fiscal stalemate: He hopes to force Democrats “to pick a number” for how high the borrowing limit should go. That would mean using the complex tool of budget reconciliation, rather than a stand-alone vote to suspend the debt cap through the midterms.

A vote to set a specific dollar figure opens the door for Republicans to launch attacks on Democratic incumbents in next year’s midterms. Yet Graham said he doesn’t want to string the process out so long that it actually puts the nation’s credit at risk.

“I mean, I’m not going to be a complete asshole about it. But I’m going to make them take some tough votes,” Graham said in an interview…

Some Republicans say that if Schumer heeds Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the GOP should take the win and make reconciliation as easy as possible for the president’s party. Others are refusing to give an inch. And still others in the conference are wondering whether at some point their colleagues might break ranks and let Schumer easily hold an up-or-down vote on raising the country’s credit limit.