House Democrats are taking the next step in their debt limit contingency plan on Wednesday.

They are expected to start gathering signatures Wednesday for a parliamentary procedure known as a discharge petition, which would allow them to force a vote on legislation without House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) backing. The push will need the support of at least five Republicans to be successful.

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"We only have two weeks to go until we may hit the X Date," House Budget Committee ranking member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) said, per the Wall Street Journal revealing plans to begin collecting signatures. "We must raise the debt ceiling now and avoid economic catastrophe."

President Joe Biden and congressional leaders met Tuesday to discuss the debt ceiling stalemate. Both sides remain far apart, according to McCarthy, and Biden dropped his plans to travel abroad to Australia and Papua New Guinea while a deal is being worked out. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reminded Congress the government is set to run out of cash by June 1.

For a discharge petition to advance in the House, it will need 218 votes, but it doesn't appear Democrats have found enough Republicans willing to help them work around the speaker. However, Democrats could attempt to peel off some members by adding concessions to their debt limit proposal.

Even if Democrats were to succeed in locking down Republican defections, the earliest a discharge petition could receive a vote is June 8 due to a waiting period after it receives the required number of signatures.

While House Democrats have a plan in place, a successful petition would still likely be held up by the Senate. Despite the upper chamber being controlled by Democrats, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appears to be keeping his party in line. Senate Republicans are backing McCarthy and aren't likely to defect and give Democrats a chance to hike the debt ceiling without spending cuts attached.

Democrats first unveiled plans to pursue the discharge petition earlier this month but have acknowledged it's a long-shot endeavor. They are using a bill first crafted in January that sat in a committee for the required 30 legislative days.

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Republicans and Democrats have been at odds over the debt ceiling for months, with McCarthy demanding spending cuts and Biden adamant that a debt limit hike bill with no strings attached is nonnegotiable. The White House has engaged in what it describes as negotiations over spending with debt limit considerations attached.

During the talks Tuesday, the two sides agreed to a new structure for negotiations, with McCarthy and Biden agreeing to have direct discussions between their two teams while the other congressional leaders step back.