Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!
National Debt

The messy money reality at the center of the debt ceiling fight

Kai Ryssdal, Richard Cunningham, and Maria Hollenhorst May 22, 2023
Heard on:
HTML EMBED:
COPY
Unless the White House and Congressional leaders can make a deal to lift or suspend the debt limit, the U.S. could default on its debts as soon as June 1. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
National Debt

The messy money reality at the center of the debt ceiling fight

Kai Ryssdal, Richard Cunningham, and Maria Hollenhorst May 22, 2023
Heard on:
Unless the White House and Congressional leaders can make a deal to lift or suspend the debt limit, the U.S. could default on its debts as soon as June 1. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Time is running out for federal officials to prevent an economically catastrophic default on U.S. debt. 

I know! We’ve done that story over and over and over again as raising the debt limit — something that used to be a routine part of running the government — has become increasingly politicized.

But at the heart of the debate over government borrowing, there is an uncomfortable truth: This economy only works, because we believe in it together. On a special episode of “Marketplace,” host Kai Ryssdal explores what’s at stake in the fight over the debt ceiling and what it reveals about the nature of money. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.