The national debt has risen strongly the first few days of September. It now stands at $7.367 trillion. This is only $17 billion away from the legal debt ceiling, passed in May 2003. The Constitution requires Congress to raise the debt ceiling before the government can overspend above the amount it last legalized. So we're very close to watching Congress be forced to raise the debt ceiling or shut down every part of the government that requires them to spend more than it takes in.
