Why does the U.S. government have a debt limit? And what's behind the current fight in Congress over whether to raise it? Here's what you need to know.
Before World War I, Congress needed to approve each bond issuance. The debt limit was created as a workaround to finance the war effort without needing a constant series of votes.
The Treasury Department has since been engaging in what it calls extraordinary measures to keep the government operating. While the administration notes that the debt ceiling reflects prior spending choices, McConnell and the Republicans are linking any increase to Biden’s multitrillion-dollar plans to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations in order to fund programs and tax breaks that could aid the middle class. McConnell has said the tax hikes would ultimately hurt the middle class and lead to a “socialist” transformation of the country.
Investors enabled Congress to run higher deficits because low interest rates made it easier to fund the government through debt. Interest rates on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes are lower now than in fiscal 2001, when the government last ran an annual surplus.
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