Some Republicans dispute the need to raise the government's debt ceiling to avoid a financial crisis, throwing another curve into the impending showdown in Washington.

The White House has repeatedly warned that raising the U.S. borrowing limit is crucial. But some House Republicans say that in a crunch the government could prioritize payments to minimize damage to the financial system, the military and others.

President Barack Obama and others say prioritizing payments isn't legally or logistically possible and would result in financial chaos.

It is more than a philosophical disagreement. The Treasury said Monday it could run out of cash as soon as mid-February and won't be able to pay all its bills unless the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling is raised, allowing it to sell additional bonds to raise cash.

Some Republicans believe such an event, though potentially disruptive, would be manageable in the short run at least, and say they won't vote for a debt-ceiling increase until Democrats accept more spending cuts. The GOP congressional leadership hasn't settled on a strategy, and many Republicans see a debt-limit showdown as a risky approach.