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PBS News Hour
The U.S. debt ceiling, explained
U.S. Senators are deciding how they'll vote on a deal to raise the debt ceiling, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the first piece of a plan to avoid a default Tuesday night. Leaders in both parties are projecting confidence, but the stakes are high. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins explains why the debt limit has become so political, and what exactly it does.
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