The U.S. has surpassed its $31.4 trillion debt limit, leading the Treasury Department to implement extraordinary measures.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congressional leadership Thursday morning that she would begin implementing stopgap options to keep the government funded and avoid default. However, she has stressed the measures can only be used for a limited amount of time, likely through June.
Yellen has said it’s critical Congress act in a timely manner, warning that failure to address the debt ceiling would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy.
"I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States," Yellen wrote in Thursday’s letter to congressional leaders.
Republicans, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are looking to use the additional time to negotiate with Democrats; they are hoping to cut spending in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. But, Democrats are so far refusing to make concessions.
"It is something that should be done without concessions. We should not be negotiating around it," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. "It is the basic duty of Congress to get that done."
Politicians in Washington may be offering assurance that the government will figure out a way to avert default, but around the country, economic anxiety is rising and some people already are adjusting their routines.
President Joe Biden has chosen a new leader for the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, a joint position that oversees much of America's cyber warfare and defense.
Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.
Abortion will soon be severely restricted in one of the last bastions for legal access in the U.S. South.
Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next year’s presidential primary season.
What to expect Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed a bill Monday that bans abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy and restricts gender-affirming medical care for people younger than 19.
Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.
he company argues the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech based on “unfounded speculation” that the Chinese government could access users’ data.
If the fight with Congress over raising the government's debt limit is such a dire threat, why doesn't President Joe Biden just raise the borrowing ceiling himself? It's theoretically possible, but he's all but ruled it out for now.
