Debt ceiling
WatchA toll booth, not a wall. How much headroom is left?
Headroom under the debt limit
watch since 18 Sept 2026 (was unknown)
−$302 B on the monthas of 4 Nov 2026
Headroom under the $41.104 T limit is $750 B, $250 B above the project's $500 B stress line.
Thresholds, rules and references
| State | Rule | Stated by |
|---|---|---|
| Watch | <= $1 500 B | Project rule — ~ six months of borrowing at the 2026 pace |
| Stress | <= $500 B | Project rule — ~ two months |
| Breach | manual.extraordinary_measures_active.value == 1 | Lavish, 12 Jan 2025 — “a toll booth rather than a wall” |
Explainer → Debt Ceiling Crisis: Part 2 The Informationist, 12 Jan 2025 · CSV · JSON
- 18 Sept 2026 unknown → Watch Headroom under the $41.104 T limit is $1 192 B, $308 B below the project's $1 500 B watch line.