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Congress' Two Big Looming Fiscal Deadlines, Explained

Here's a familiar story: Congress has to act fast or risk blowing past a major fiscal deadline.

According to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling on Nov. 3. And shortly after that, a budget deadline also looms, on Dec. 11. Congressional leaders are nearing a deal on both, as NPR's Susan Davis reports.

If you're confused over what exactly Capitol Hill is fighting about and why, check out our explanation below:

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Marilyn Geewax is a contributor to NPR.
Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk. She appears on NPR shows, writes for the web, and is a regular on The NPR Politics Podcast. She is covering the 2020 presidential election, with particular focuses on on economic policy and gender politics.