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What will happen if the U.S. blows through the debt limit?

Sep 27, 2021
The economy would be in uncharted — and dangerous — territory.
Pay and hours are at the core of the unionization efforts.
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

The debt ceiling explained

Sep 24, 2021
If Congress fails to raise or suspend the debt limit, it won’t cause a government shutdown. But it could mean a failure to pay Social Security benefits and federal salaries. 
Storm clouds gather near the U.S. Capitol on Sep. 22, in Washington, D.C.
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

How did disaster aid get tangled up in the fight over the debt ceiling?

Sep 22, 2021
There are more disasters than Congress budgets for. And the federal fiscal year coincides with peak hurricane and wildfire season.
Important legislation is often slated for around the end of the fiscal year — which coincides with the worst period for hurricanes and wildfires.
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The debt ceiling "dance" is coming up. How did it start?

Jun 16, 2021
A higher debt limit does not mean funding more government programs. It is paying for the bills already due.
Congress has until July 31 to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.
Zach Gibson via Getty Images

A two-year shutdown of government shutdowns?

Feb 8, 2018
Congress had to pass a budget bill to avoid a shutdown this week. It also had to lift the debt limit or risk the government running out of money in March. So lawmakers packaged the bills. But they aren’t just doubling up on legislation, they’re doubling down on the national debt.   Click the audio […]

Tick, tock

Jan 19, 2018
Time is running out to avert a government shutdown.
The U.S. Capitol is seen as lawmakers work to avert a government shutdown today in Washington, D.C.
Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Is tying Harvey disaster relief to the debt ceiling opportunistic?

Linking the two could make raising the debt limit more palatable to Congress, but it puts off a painful conversation about spending cuts.
 Rain from Hurricane Harvey falls on a Texas and U.S. flag on Aug. 26, 2017, in Texas City, Texas.
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Debt: Another big congressional battle on the horizon

Jun 29, 2017
The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release a report today on the country’s debt ceiling. The debt limit, which caps the amount the United States can borrow, was reinstated back in March. And the Treasury Department began using what are called “extraordinary measures” to help cover its obligations. But those will run out at […]

To cut or not to cut? The debate over the government’s debt

Jun 1, 2017
There’s a tug of war in the Trump administration over the debt ceiling — specifically, whether Congress should attach spending limits to legislation raising or suspending the ceiling. It limits how much the Treasury Department can borrow to pay its bills. Now, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is urging Congress to raise the debt ceiling with […]

3 things you may have missed about Trump's budget

May 25, 2017
A look at how the education system could be impacted and how Trump's voter base might react.
 Copies of President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget are stacked at the Government Publishing Office in Washington, D.C.
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