As part of America’s system of checks and balances, Congress gets to do more than just approve the annual federal budget. It also sets a limit on how much debt the US Treasury is allowed to issue.
作为美国制衡政治体制的组成部分，国会不仅扮演着审批联邦预算的角色，还负责制定美国财政部的债务限额。一旦超出该限额，政府就只好从当年财政收入中掏钱支出了。