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5 things people get wrong about the debt ceiling saga

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to members of the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2023. The U.S. government will soon run out of cash to pay its bills unless it can raise or suspend its debt ceiling. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Politics

5 things people get wrong about the debt ceiling saga

May 25, 2023 • Did spending by President Biden and the Democrats rack up the country's debt? Is a default the same as a government shutdown? Here are answers to things people often get wrong about the debt ceiling.

5 things people get wrong about the debt ceiling saga

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First raise the debt limit. Then we can talk about spending, the White House insists

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, seen here in a Feb. 1, 2023 file photo, says President Biden wants to keep talks about government spending separate from a bill needed to raise the debt limit. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

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Susan Walsh/AP

Politics

First raise the debt limit. Then we can talk about spending, the White House insists

April 20, 2023 • White House chief of staff Jeff Zients says debt limit talks and spending negotiations must be kept separate — despite House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's insistence they be tied together.

First raise the debt limit. Then we can talk about spending, the White House insists

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Fed Chief Says More Relief Spending May Be 'Costly, But Worth It'

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy should recover once the coronavirus is under control. But he cautioned that without more help, many small businesses may not survive that long. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Coronavirus Updates

Fed Chief Says More Relief Spending May Be 'Costly, But Worth It'

May 13, 2020 • Jerome Powell said the economy should recover once the coronavirus is under control. But the central bank chief cautioned that without more help, many small businesses may not survive that long.

House Approves Amtrak Funding, Rewrites Rules To Allow Furry Riders

Amtrak conductor Michael Laubauskas talks on a radio Feb. 19 as his train departs Trenton, N.J., for Washington, D.C. The U.S. House passed an Amtrak funding bill Wednesday that splits Amtrak's high-ridership Northeast Corridor line that runs from Boston to Washington from the less profitable part of the system. Mel Evans/AP hide caption

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Mel Evans/AP

The Two-Way

House Approves Amtrak Funding, Rewrites Rules To Allow Furry Riders

March 4, 2015 • The bill freezes funding at current levels for four years and lets some pets ride the rails with their owners. It also separates the high-ridership Northeast Corridor from the rest of the system.

The Two-Way

Senate Passes $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

December 13, 2014 • Senators meeting in a rare Saturday session had earlier voted to extend their deadline until midnight Wednesday, but they managed to pass the spending measure Saturday night by a 56-40 vote.

5 Takeaways From The Omnibus Spending Bill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., speaks Tuesday on Capitol Hill, where a massive spending bill, aimed at funding the government through October and putting to rest the bitter budget battles of last year, is getting generally positive bipartisan reviews. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

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Susan Walsh/AP

It's All Politics

5 Takeaways From The Omnibus Spending Bill

January 14, 2014 • Regular order. That phrase refers to Congress conducting business in a methodical way, like it used to back before "dysfunctional" came to seem an official description of Washington. A new federal budget working its way through Congress could help restore regular order to Capitol Hill.

Congress Poised To Pass $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/Landov

The Two-Way

Congress Poised To Pass $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

January 14, 2014 • There are no "in your face victories" for Republicans or Democrats in the package. The measure funds the government for the rest of this year and is part of a bipartisan plan to avoid another bitter battle that could shut down the government.

President To GOP: Don't 'Burn Down The House' Over Obamacare

House Republicans have insisted that a spending bill contain language defunding Obamacare. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Two-Way

President To GOP: Don't 'Burn Down The House' Over Obamacare

September 27, 2013 • A Senate bill to keep the federal government open for six weeks is expected to pass and move to the House, where GOP lawmakers insist they will insert deal-breaking language to defund Obamacare.

Health Care Costs Are Projected To Outpace Economic Growth

Increased use of generic drugs caused a slight drop in the price of prescription drugs in 2012. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Health Care Costs Are Projected To Outpace Economic Growth

Kaiser Health News

September 19, 2013 • Though the Obama administration says that the nation is entering a new era of lower health care spending, an analysis from the agency that oversees Medicare says probably not. Those economists say that health spending will escalate as the economy improves, as it has in past economic recoveries.

U.S. Spent $3.7 Million On Former Presidents In 2012

George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. White House hide caption

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White House

The Two-Way

U.S. Spent $3.7 Million On Former Presidents In 2012

March 25, 2013 • The most costly ex-president in 2012 was George W. Bush, who received just over $1.3 million.

Today's Three Stories To Read About The 'Fiscal Cliff'

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as he arrived at the Capitol on Thursday for negotiations with congressional leaders. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

February 3, 2011 • Proposed House GOP spending cuts raised tensions and puts a clash with Senate Democrats closer. House Republicans want to cut $58 billion in non-security, discretionary spending for the rest of the year. Sen. Harry Reid called such cuts "draconian."

It's All Politics

House's New Leaders Go Micro On First Spending Cuts

January 4, 2011 • House GOP members want to show they're serious about cutting government spending by starting small. The $35 million or five percent of the House budget they intend to cut is tiny relative to the $3.55 trillion federal budget. But it's easy pickings.

It's All Politics

Reid Drops Nearly $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill In Senate

December 16, 2010 • The 1,924-page bill collapsed of its own weight after an outcry from conservatives who said it was stuffed with earmarks and wrapped together 12 bills into a single foot-tall piece of legislation that Democrats had hoped to pass with little debate.

It's All Politics

Congress' Christmas Paradox: Many Big Bills, Too Little Time

December 15, 2010 • Congress faces a severe time crunch and many complicating factors as it tries to finish big legislation before Christmas. Besides approving a Bush tax cut extension, it must take up a spending bill as well as give a repeal of DADT another try.

It's All Politics

Democrats' $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Draws GOP Rebuke

December 15, 2010 • Congressional Democrats unveiled a $1.1 trillion which many Republicans immediately hit as too big and earmark-filled. Republicans bashed what they called spending and demanded that Democrats put off a vote on the bill until the new Congress.