U.S. debt ceiling approaches $41.1 trillion, Congress may defuse the bomb early after midterm elections.

BlockBeats news, September 14 — As U.S. federal debt continues to climb, Washington is preparing early for the next debt ceiling crisis. Analysts expect total U.S. debt to surpass $41.1 trillion in 2027, and once the Treasury's extraordinary measures are exhausted, Congress must raise or suspend the debt ceiling or face a potential default risk.

Some Republican lawmakers are considering addressing the debt ceiling early during the "lame-duck" session after the November midterm elections, to prevent Democrats from using it as political leverage if they regain control of Congress. However, fiscal conservatives within the party oppose raising the borrowing limit without conditions, demanding simultaneous large-scale spending cuts and fiscal reforms.

House Speaker Johnson currently holds only a slim majority and can afford at most a few Republican defections; advancing related legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes, meaning Republicans still need to win Democratic support. Democrats have hinted that if they regain control of Congress, the debt ceiling could become an important bargaining chip to check the Trump administration.

The 2023 debt ceiling crisis pushed the United States to the brink of default and ultimately led Fitch to downgrade the U.S. sovereign credit rating from AAA to AA+. As the Trump administration simultaneously faces fiscal pressures from tax cuts, spending, and potential cash disbursements, a new round of debt ceiling brinkmanship could become a significant political risk before and after the midterm elections.