[kelthan]

The debt ceiling "crisis" is a completely manufactured political cliff. It serves no purpose other than to be used as a wedge during political debates.

When Congress passes a bill for anything that requires spending, the time to debate that spending is before the bill is passed. Once that bill passes and is signed into law, then US government is now responsible to cover that cost.

The debate about the debt ceiling is all about one party saying that they don't want to pay for the spending that has already been debated, approved, and signed into law. This is akin to going to an expensive restaurant, ordering the food, enjoying dinner, and then when the bill arrives, saying "Oh, I won't spend that much on dinner!". That's not the way the world works. If you can't afford the food, the time to make that decision is when you are making your restaurant choice, or when you are ordering, not after the bill arrives.