2011 U.S. DEBT CEILING CRISIS

Contentious debate in 2011 about the maximum borrowing amount the US government must be allowed to undertake and how to avoid such problems. Since 1917, a debt ceiling has been implemented but the government escalates it whenever it is close in hitting the ceiling. Reaching it means defaulting on interest payments to creditors. Defaulting on debt obligations include late, initial, or missed payments to federal pensioners, Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, and government employees and contractors.