logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
32m 58s

The Ticking Clock of a U.S. Debt Default

The New York Times
About this episode

Top White House officials and Republican lawmakers are racing to reach an agreement as the date when the United States is projected to default on its debt approaches.

Jim Tankersley, who covers the White House for The New York Times, looks at the state of the negotiations and explains what it will take to win over enough votes in Congress to avoid an economic disaster.

Guest: Jim Tankersley, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

  • The details have not been finalized, but the deal taking shape would allow Republicans to point to spending reductions and Democrats to say they had prevented large cuts.
  • The longer it takes to reach an agreement, the more turmoil there could be for the United States and the global economy. Here’s what to know.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Up next
Yesterday
Trump’s Top Aides Spread the Epstein Conspiracy. Now They Are Trying to Kill It.
For months, President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that they would expose the hidden, potentially sinister truth about Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019.But over the past few days, the Trump administrationWhite House decided to shut down has poured cold water on t ... Show More
21m 47s
Jul 8
A Love Letter to Camp Mystic
On Monday evening, the death toll from the flooding in Central Texas rose past 100. A single place accounted for 27 of those deaths: Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls.Erin Paisan, who attended Camp Mystic, explains what the place meant to generations of g ... Show More
25m 9s
Jul 7
A Dark Moment for Journalism — and Devastation in Texas
Last week, when Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, announced a $16 million settlement with President Trump over editing of a segment of “60 Minutes,” many of the network’s journalists were furious.The deal also raised questions about the independence of CBS’s journalism, ... Show More
34m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Congress Won’t Let The US Default on Its Debt. Right?
The White House and Congress are battling over raising the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. If they don’t act and the US defaults on its debt this summer, the economic shockwaves will be felt across the nation and around the world. Even so, the conventional wisdom in many pa ... Show More
26m 10s
Oct 2021
America’s Debt has Come Down to Politics
The clock is ticking for Congress to raise or suspend the debt limit. Otherwise, the US will default on its debt for the first time in history. CNN Political Director David Chalian explains the impact this would have on the country and the political factors at play. President Joe ... Show More
7m 54s
Jun 2023
Checks and Balance: Seal the deal
The deal to raise America’s debt ceiling is finally done. The government will now be able to resume borrowing money to pay its bills, and avoid a default. The last-minute agreement will suspend the debt ceiling and flatten some categories of spending for two years, until after th ... Show More
43m 59s
Jun 2023
Checks and Balance: Seal the deal
The deal to raise America’s debt ceiling is finally done. The government will now be able to resume borrowing money to pay its bills, and avoid a default. The last-minute agreement will suspend the debt ceiling and flatten some categories of spending for two years, until after th ... Show More
43m 59s
May 2023
Biden and McCarthy ‘closer to deal’ on debt ceiling
The US House Speaker says there's been progress in the talks about a deal to raise the government debt limit for two years, and that negotiations with the White House will continue. Kevin McCarthy said the work would carry on until an agreement was reached - but he added this was ... Show More
27m 37s
Feb 2023
Jay & Shai's debt ceiling adventure
Every year, the U.S. government spends more money than it takes in. In order to fund all that spending, the country takes on debt. Congress has the power to limit how much debt the U.S. takes on. Right now, the debt limit is $31.4 trillion dollars. Once we reach that limit, Congr ... Show More
26m 6s
Mar 2024
Trump's properties, ceasefire talks, spending bill
First: New York's attorney general is moving to seize a private estate and golf course in suburban Manhattan belonging to Donald Trump. Plus: Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Qatar as Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares to meet face to face this morning with Israel's prime m ... Show More
1h 26m
Mar 2023
The debt ceiling drama
You’ve probably heard by now that President Joe Biden released his 2024 budget proposal. You’ve also probably heard that it has almost no chance of passing through both chambers of Congress. What is likely to come to pass is more drama over a recurring problem: the fight over the ... Show More
44m 24s
Nov 2021
Can We Defuse America's Impending Debt Bomb?
America has a bad spending habit. Nearly $29 trillion dollars in debt, and both political parties showing no sign of stopping their more and more expensive spending plans, what happens when that bill comes due? Writer, commentator and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at FreedomWorks ... Show More
12m 31s
Apr 2023
McCarthy Takes on Biden Over Debt Ceiling
Congress and the Biden administration are once again at loggerheads over a potential debt ceiling crisis – and the possibility of defaulting on its debt for the first time in the United States’ history. CNN Political Director David Chalian breaks down Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s spe ... Show More
9m 40s