A house vote on the debt limit is a vote taken by the United States House of Representatives to increase or suspend the limit on the amount of debt that the federal government can borrow. The debt limit is a legal limit on the total amount of debt that the government can issue in the form of Treasury securities. When the debt limit is reached, the government is unable to borrow any more money to meet its financial obligations, such as paying its bills, Social Security benefits, and military salaries.
House votes on the debt limit are often controversial, as they can lead to a government shutdown if the limit is not raised. In recent years, the debt limit has been raised several times, often after protracted negotiations between the Democratic and Republican parties. The most recent vote on the debt limit was in December 2021, when the House voted to raise the limit by $2.5 trillion.