Can you explain why the debt jumped so much overnight?

SSgt John S., the debt ceiling is meaningless if it is raised automatically every time we reach it. It should absolutely be used as leverage for forcing budget cuts in order to live within our means; it should force us to prioritize our spending. States commonly do this because they don't have a printing press in the basement for cranking out money as needed.

There is a lot of frivolous spending that could be cut, and there is a lot of spending on lower priority items that can be cut to bring the budget into balance.

Throwing away the only leverage they have to control spending (the primary Constitutional function of Congress) is a dereliction of duty of the worst sort.

SSgt John S., I don't believe there is any other way to cut spending; dealing with these congressmen and this administration is like dealing with a sex maniac in a whorehouse with a credit card in our name.

There is no limit they will respect absent force.

SSgt John S., yes we do disagree. Planned Parenthood is just one of many things that the government has no business wasting resources on - especially when we have to borrow the money to give it away. The left takes a hard stance because they are ideological extremists, unwilling to bend on any issue. There is no compromise with the left short of total capitulation to them.

SSgt John S., the Federal government takes in $3.5 trillion/year; there is no valid reason to ever default on debt payments if the debt ceiling is not raised. What would happen is that the government would have to prioritize its spending and cut out the lower priority items when the money ran out.

Same as you do with your personal finances, but with more zeroes.

http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/total