GEOFF BENNETT: Today is Tax Day, but, right now, we're waiting to see how long the country has before it could default on its own bills, more than $31 trillion worth.

Lisa Desjardins has the latest on how lawmakers plan on avoiding a global financial crisis of their own making.

Lisa, it's great to see you.

So, where does House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's proposal, where does that stand?

LISA DESJARDINS: This is a big week.

This is the week where House Republicans have to figure out, do they have something they actually agree on amongst themselves?

This morning, I and our producer Kyle Midura were outside the closed-door meeting for House Republicans when Speaker McCarthy unveiled his proposal.

Here's what we know about so far what Speaker McCarthy plans to say he wants.

He says he was willing to increase the debt limit until 2024.

That could change, but that's where he is right now.

In exchange, he is saying he would like the federal government spending to be cut back to 2022 levels, in addition, a future limit on growth to 1 percent a year for the next 10 years.

And then he also is saying he would like more work requirements for Medicaid and for SNAP.

Some people may know that by the name food stamps.

Those are all ideas that are on the table.

And those are many ideas that Senate Democrats probably won't agree to.

However, that might not be enough for House Republicans.

Coming out of that meeting, several of those sort of holdouts that made it difficult for Speaker McCarthy to get his job said they're not exactly happy with this proposal as it is now.

GEOFF BENNETT: So the Republicans who are opposing this plan, what exactly do they want?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

Let's go through that.

We did a lot of reporting on this today.

There are a lot of ideas out there.

Everyone knows this is a do-or-don't-do moment.

What I can tell you is sort of there's a thought leader in all of this, Chip Roy.

He's one of those members who was important also in the speakership fight.

Here's what he said today on the Glenn Beck show, indicating that he indeed wants a lot more.

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): Speaker McCarthy has a tough job.

I'm not trying to give him an excuse.

It is hard.

We had a good conversation this morning.We laid out an outline that I think is a good framework, OK?

There are still some things we need to address.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now, he wants for the following things, to entirely get rid of the Inflation Reduction Act.

That's a signature achievement from President Biden, but especially they're pushing for getting rid of the climate change credits that are in that.

Other ideas in there, crawling back some of the money that was going to the IRS, billions of dollars.

Essentially, they think this needs to be much more conservative.

And I think probably Speaker McCarthy will have to get there if he wants his conference on board.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, big picture, then where are we with the risk of a real debt crisis ahead?

LISA DESJARDINS: OK, here's the situation, of course.

Let's look at the math for the House, where we're kind of starting this conversation.

You need -- you have 222 Republicans in that body.

There's 218 votes needed, many of our viewers know, to get anything through that chamber generally.

Now, here's the issue.

There are 16 Republicans who've never voted for a debt limit at all.

And, really, they need just about every Republican on board any kind of debt ceiling proposal.

It's not clear that they have 218 now.

I think this is going to come under a head next week.

If the House Republicans can't pass anything, Geoff, then we're really going to be in a quandary.

Some Democrats say maybe that's an advantage for them.

It's just the case that there are -- it's hard to predict what's going to happen here.

And that in itself is a little bit of a problem.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, let's talk briefly about another matter you're following, the absence of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.

There was some action that today.

What happened?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

So, Senate Leader -- Senate Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Senate to temporarily allow her to step down from her position the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We have spoken about that here.

That -- the fact that she could not show up for votes right now, because she is out with complications from shingles is freezing many judicial nominees.

Senator Schumer asked the Senate to allow her to temporarily step down be replaced, and there was an objection.

So that is not going to happen, at least today.

Senator Schumer will have to reconsider what he does next.

Does he try a full floor vote?

But, in general, my reporting, Geoff, is that Republicans are not going to allow her to do that, not going to allow her to temporarily step down.

So then the option for Democrats is, do they put pressure on Dianne Feinstein to resign?

I'm still told that she has no plans to do that, no plans to retire early, but it leaves them in a really difficult situation here.

We don't know when she's going to return.

Here's what Senator Schumer said, being careful to stay on message today.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Look, I spoke to Senator Feinstein just a few days ago.

And she and I are both very hopeful that she will return very soon.

Let me first say again, I spoke to Senator Feinstein just last Friday, and she and I are very hopeful she will return soon.

LISA DESJARDINS: He spoke to Senator Feinstein.

He's very hopeful she will return soon.

But we don't know if she will return soon.

And, in the meantime, the clock is ticking here on these critical months for getting judicial nominees in.

GEOFF BENNETT: More to come.

Lisa Desjardins following it all for us, thanks so much.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.