Trump Is Right: Abolish the Debt Ceiling
The limit has become the opposite of what it was intended to be: a way to to give the government flexibility in managing the nation’s debt.
A good view of the ceiling.
Photographer: Allison Bailey/AFP
Amid Donald Trump’s chaotic, last-minute intervention into congressional negotiations about government funding, he has stumbled upon a good idea: He wants to abolish the debt ceiling.
The debt ceiling, once a barely relevant bit of legal arcana, has become a dangerous weapon in American politics. It is currently due to expire in March, and the new Congress will need to negotiate a deal to extend it. Some Republicans — not all, as evidenced by Thursday’s failed vote — want to approve an extension this week as part of a year-end deal to fund the government. Democrats, with good reason, do not love that idea and also voted against the bill.