Make Me Smart

Everything you wanted to know about the debt ceiling


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It’s Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday, and lots of you wanna know what’s up with the debt ceiling drama. So, we’re dedicating today’s episode to answering your questions about what happens if Congress fails to raise the debt limit before the government runs out of money. We’ll get into how a debt default compares to a government shutdown, why prioritizing payments would be a tricky task for the Treasury and where’s Wall Street been?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

  • “What’s the difference between a government shutdown and a failure to raise the debt ceiling?” from the Brookings Institution
      • “Danger and deja vu: what 2011 can tell us about the US debt ceiling crisis” from The Guardian
          • “America’s credit rating could get downgraded even if a default is avoided, Fitch Ratings warns” from CNN Business
              • “We Hit the Debt Limit. What Happens Now?” from The New York Times
                  • “Prioritization” from the Bipartisan Policy Center
                      • “Congress shouldn’t get paid until debt ceiling is addressed, House Democrat says” from CBS News
                          • “The markets are taking debt limit uncertainty in stride — for now” from Marketplace
                              • “A group of over 140 CEOs and Wall Street titans including David Solomon just warned stocks will crash if politicians can’t raise the debt ceiling” from Fortune
                                  • “Small businesses raise alarm over default amid debt limit fight” from CBS News
                                      • “U.S. Chamber Calls for Urgent Action on Debt Limit” from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
                                      • It’s our May fundraiser. We need to raise $350K to stay on track for this fiscal year, and your gift now can help us reach our goalGive today.

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