here is we are the only country in the world that does it this way. we have raised the debt ceiling almost 100 times since we came up with the concept. it s clearly not holding down debt. it is a debt sunroof at best. why shouldn t we just get rid of it all together? look, i have long been an advocate in changing the way we handle the debt limit. going back as far as the 1980s when i worked for striker o neal we tried to make it an easier process so you wouldn t have these kinds of high wire acts. since we reached the point in 2011 where the u.s. was downgraded by a rating agency and we saw major money market funds dumping short-term treasuries not to hold anything with a maturity yes in the window, i think it s time to figure out a way to get beyond t i also want to point out you said correctly that the debt limit reflects payments for past commitments. the reconciliation bill that s moving through congress now is paid for. it s not the thing that s causing the debt limit to need