>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening with the country barreling toward a financial cliff tonight, republicans may be blinking and ready to help avert catastrophe with a new offer to democrats providing an off-ramp in the showdown of raising the $28.4 trillion debt ceiling. tonight the clock is ticking. less than two weeks until the u.s. will either have to raise the borrowing limit to pay past bills or face the chilling prospect of default and potential economic disaster senate minority leader mitch mcconnell now saying he will support an extension of the debt ceiling to allow the country to pay its bills for now, a temporary solution at best. peter alexander now with late details. >> reporter: tonight, what could be a new short-term solution to the looming fiscal disaster top republican mitch mcconnell offering democrats a deal to allow the government to extend its ability to borrow money to pay its bills for an