Congress may be faced with the prospect of facing deadlines to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government at the same time in the fall, the same coincidence of events that has set up major fiscal standoffs in past years.

The Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, reported Thursday that the date when Congress has to raise the debt ceiling probably will fall in October or November, with a particular danger related to federal payments that fall on the first day of the new fiscal year, which is Oct. 2.