Well, howdy there, Internet people, it's Bell again.

So today, we're going to talk about debt drama coming early next year.

Although it isn't what Trump wanted, it looks like one of the first orders of business will be dealing with the debt limit.

Current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen briefed congressional leaders that the limit

must be raised by January 14th, or the Treasury Department will have to implement extraordinary

measures to avoid default. The briefing letter said, quote, Treasury currently expects to reach the new limit between January 14 and January 23rd,

at which time it will be necessary for the Treasury Department to take extraordinary measures.

We should probably pause here to explain that extraordinary measures aren't really that extraordinary.

It includes things like not pumping daily money in the Exchange Stability Fund.

It helps smooth foreign exchange rates.

Or maybe they stop selling certain kinds of treasuries or bonds.

Or maybe they stop fully reinvesting in funds until the

debt limit impasse is resolved. So to be clear, it's not good that extraordinary measures need

to be taken, but it also isn't earth-shattering. The other thing worth noting is that the window of

the 14th to the 23rd is an improvement.

The expected date prior to the briefing was the 2nd of January.

So, early next year, Congress will have to decide how to proceed.

There are three real options.

The first is to raise the debt limit by a specific dollar amount.

The next is to suspend the debt limit for a set period of time. And the third option would be to

permanently do away with the debt ceiling. Doing away with the debt ceiling, which is often used

to achieve political leverage, has been a

...