Republicans in the House of Representatives on Thursday delayed a vote a short-term bill to raise the nation's debt limit by $900 billion, Democratic sources said.

An aide to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Steny Hoyer, the Democrat's top vote counter in the House, had told his party members that Republicans had decided to postpone the vote. Republicans had been trying to rally up enough support to pass the bill, but the vote was expected to be close.

A Republican aide said the House would vote on the bill later on Thursday evening. The vote was originally scheduled to be between 5:45 p.m. EDT and 6:15 p.m. EDT (2145-2215 GMT).

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan)

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