CNN Wire Staff

Washington (CNN) - The top Senate Republican on Tuesday laid out a hard-line negotiating stance on upcoming budget battles, rejecting any tax increases and demanding "significant" reforms in exchange for his vote to raise the debt ceiling.

"We're going to require as a condition for raising the debt ceiling something really important about the debt," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told reporters.

Without providing specifics, McConnell said it would take "something the markets would view as significant, something the American people would view as significant, something foreign countries would view as significant" in order for him to vote to increase how much the United States can borrow.

Congress must reach an agreement on the debt ceiling before the United States reaches its legal borrowing limit of $14.29 trillion.

McConnell said the Treasury Department has indicated the nation would reach its debt ceiling "sometime between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July."

He called for "something real, something measurable" that will begin to reduce the national debt.

McConnell also made clear that he opposes generating more revenue through higher taxes to tackle the deficit and debt problems.

Full story

Laura Klairmont
CNN

(CNN)– Rep. Michele Bachmann was heckled by a handful of University of Iowa students at an appearance in the Hawkeye state on Monday.

The Minnesota Republican spoke for under thirty minutes about her opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and concerns with national debt, at the university memorial union in Iowa City, according to the Des Moines Register.

Bachmann was interrupted by the students who held a sign reading, "Homosexuality Desensitization" and shouted questions.

In addition, senior Jenny Watkins, grilled the congresswoman after the speech during the questions and answers portion. The student asked Bachmann about her views on homosexuality and abortion. Bachmann condemned both, according to the Des Moines Register.

The congresswoman, who is eyeing the Republican presidential nomination, addressed other socially heated topics at an earlier speech on Monday, in Pella, Iowa.

Full story on the CNN Political Ticker

CNN Political Unit

Washington (CNN) – Donald Trump is now tied with Mike Huckabee for first place when Republicans are asked who they support for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, according to a new national poll.

But while a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday indicates that the real estate mogul and reality TV star has nearly doubled his support since mid-March, it doesn't mean he has smooth sailing ahead.

Full story on the CNN Political Ticker

Gabriella Schwarz
CNN Associate Producer

Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama's sister thinks the birther movement is "unfortunate."

"I think it's unfortunate. He was born in Hawaii, there is a tremendous amount of proof that has already been presented," Maya Soetoro-Ng told CNN's Piers Morgan in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday. "I think that it is time for people to put that to bed, put it to rest completely."

And what about real estate mogul Donald Trump's repeated calls for the president to produce his birth certificate?

"Well, I think it's a shame and I think that my brother should definitely be president for a second term," Soetoro-Ng said. "And that's really all I have to say about it."

Trump, star of "Celebrity Apprentice," has made a second career out of questioning the president's birthplace, most recently on CNN's "State of the Union."

Full story on the CNN Political Ticker