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The history of the United States debt ceiling deals with movements in the United States debt ceiling since it was created in 1917. Management of the United States public debt is an important part of the macroeconomics of the United States economy and finance system, and the debt ceiling is a limitation on the federal government's ability to manage the economy and finance system.
We hope you'll enjoy the following interactive series of charts on the U.S. debt ceiling from 1917 to the present day. For more information on the history of the debt ceiling, please click here.
U.S. federal government debt ceiling from 1990 to January 2012 [33] (unadjusted for GDP and population) The debt-ceiling debate of 1995 led to a showdown on the federal budget and resulted in the U.S. federal government shutdowns of 1995 and 1996. [34] [35] In all, Congress raised the debt ceiling eight times during the Clinton Administration.
Public debt surged during the 1980s, as Ronald Reagan cut tax rates and increased military spending, while it decreased in the 1990s due to reduced military spending, increased taxes, and the economic boom. Public debt sharply rose following the 2007–08 financial crisis, driven by significant tax revenue declines and spending increases.
For about 48 hours last week, it looked like a debt ceiling fight in 2025 would be averted, as ideas were floated to postpone the issue until 2027 or 2029 (or even forever). But it was not to be.
Since first setting a debt limit of $45bn in 1939, the debt ceiling has been raised 103 times. The last time the debt ceiling was reached, in January 2023, the figure stood at $31.4 trillion.
The debt ceiling had technically been reached on December 31, 2012, when the Treasury Department commenced "extraordinary measures" to enable the continued financing of the government. [3] [4] The debt ceiling is part of a law (Title 31 of the United States Code, section 3101) created by Congress.
The nation will hit its roughly $36 trillion debt limit on Tuesday, when the Treasury Department will start taking extraordinary measures to allow the government to pay its bills, outgoing ...