Failure to lift U.S. debt ceiling would result in ‘financial and monetary disaster,’ Yellen says

The U.S. authorities dangers “financial and monetary disaster” if the Home fails to move a invoice to lift the $31.four trillion debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated Monday.

The nation hit the statutory restrict final month, however Republican members of Congress are holding out on elevating it to barter modifications in federal spending guidelines with the White Home earlier than drafting a invoice. The Treasury Division underneath Yellen has taken a number of momentary measures to assist the federal government keep away from default.

“America has paid all of its payments on time since 1789, and never to take action would produce an financial and monetary disaster,” Yellen advised ABC’s George Stephanopolous on Monday. “And each accountable member of Congress should agree to lift the debt ceiling.”

The Treasury Secretary stated the Home has all the time fulfilled its obligation to lift the restrict although it has typically “gone as much as the wire.”

Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy introduced that he’ll ship an handle on the debt ceiling Monday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Talks between McCarthy and President Joe Biden have continued amicably, however an settlement has not been reached.

Through the interview, Yellen additionally praised the better-than-expected January job numbers and steadily lowering inflation, each points she stated Biden will handle in his State of the Union speech Tuesday.

“Final month, we created over 500,000 jobs, greater than 12 million because the president took workplace, and inflation is coming down,” she stated. “It stays too excessive, but it surely’s been falling for the final six months.”