Alec Phillips, a research chief political economist at Goldman Sachs, expects the United States to have time until June 8 before the country runs out of money to service its payments.
Earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had said that the X-date—the date when the United States will be unable to pay its bills and thus risk a default—could be June 1. However, Phillips estimates that the X-date will come later. The X-date “could be June 1. It also could be June 8th or 9th. And it also could be, probably not, sometime in July. So, our guess right now is that the real deadline is probably more like June 8th or 9th. That’s when they are at sort of greatest risk,” he said in a May 19 interview with Bloomberg.
“The reality is Congress has to do this (raising the debt ceiling) at some point very soon, and they should just go ahead and do it. So, waiting for the last minute isn’t necessarily the right move, even though we think that maybe they could go a little bit longer.”
Phillips also pointed to the possibility of rating agencies downgrading the United States. In an April 25 post, Fitch said, “If, ahead of the X-date, we were to assess the risk of a default as having become more material, the US’s rating would likely be placed on Rating Watch Negative and further rating action could be considered.”
However, if the debt limit were not raised or suspended in time to prevent a default, Fitch would move the U.S. ratings to Restricted Default (RD).
“Affected Treasury securities would carry a ‘D’ rating until the default was cured. Prioritizing debt payments to avoid an immediate default, if this were possible, might not be consistent with a ‘AAA’ rating.”
Phillips says the odds of a ratings downgrade are “pretty low” as he believes the chances of the United States missing any payment are low.
Treasury Cash Balance
The cash balance at the U.S. Treasury has drastically fallen in just a week. On May 11, the treasury’s closing cash balance stood at $143.31 billion. A week later, on May 18, the cash balance dropped to $57.34 billion, a decline of almost 60 percent.
“The US Treasury has $57 billion in cash on hand while the government carries $31 trillion in debt. That’s the equivalent of an average person having $1,000 in cash on hand and $543,859 in debt. Scary,” Grit Capital CEO Genevieve Roch-Decter said in a May 21 tweet.
Regarding the issue, Phillips predicted that the Treasury might run down its cash balance to near zero by the time lawmakers decide to raise the debt ceiling. The Treasury could then issue $500 billion–$600 billion worth of bills over a few weeks.
“The concern is that … that is going to pull money out of other places and put it on the Fed’s balance sheet where it’s not being invested in equities or whatever else. I think it is something to keep an eye on,” he said.
Political Gridlock Over Raising Debt Ceiling
With only a few weeks remaining before the X-date arrives, Republican and Democrat lawmakers have yet to reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling. On May 21, House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden discussed the issue on the phone.
The two are set to meet on May 22 to further discuss raising the debt ceiling. McCarthy and Republicans want the Biden administration to implement spending cuts and increase the defense budget. Biden has indicated that he is open to making the spending cuts.
Some Senate Democrats have asked Biden to invoke the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment to prevent a debt default.
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However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to the president on May 19, warning that attempting to invoke the 14th Amendment powers would be “as economically calamitous as a default triggered by a failure to lift the debt limit in a timely manner.”
“The Constitution is clear. The power to ‘borrow money on the credit of the United States’ is given to Congress (Article 1, Section 8) and not the Executive,” the letter stated.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
America more than likely has no trouble paying it’s bills. What it does have trouble doing is paying bills without a budget. Cut all federal salaries, cancel all entitlements (the government owes no one anything), reduce all federal department budgets, rein in all unnecessary spending. Enforce budgeting policy and procedures at all levels of government.Enforce work requirements for welfare recipients. Cut prisons budgets of all pork and privileges. It’s prison not a holiday inn. Enforce mandatory death penalty for murder that has been proven and prosecuted. We’ll save tons of money not housing and feeding these people for the rest of their lives.
You do this and watch the debt reduce.