The politics of the debt ceiling debate in Congress

On January 19, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed Congress that the department would implement “extraordinary measures” to allow the federal government to meet its obligations after reaching the debt ceiling. David Dollar speaks with Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, about the politics of the debt ceiling debate in Congress, including what leverage far-right Republicans may have gained during the Speaker of the House election process, and what a possible bi-partisan budget deal could look like.

Other material:

• “What Would It Take to Balance the Budget?” (CRFB)
• “This Debt-Ceiling Fight Will Be Different” (roundtable debate with Ross Douthat)

• Listen to Dollar & Sense on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you like to get podcasts.
• Learn about other Brookings podcasts from the Brookings Podcast Network.
• Sign up for the podcasts newsletter for occasional updates on featured episodes and new shows.
• Send feedback email to [email protected].