Why the election could make Washington's looming next fiscal crisis harder

Washington's next fiscal crisis looms right around the corner. Fixing it could be hard. Analysts project the U.S. will breach the $41.1 trillion debt ceiling at some point in 2027, requiring Congress to raise or suspend it before the Treasury Department runs out of "extraordinary measures" to avoid a catastrophic default. If Democrats capture one or both chambers of Congress in November's midterm election , it would open the door to a standoff as the party tries to extract policy wins from Republican President Donald Trump in exchange for averting a bumpy ride over the fiscal cliff. Trump last week also proposed a $5,000 dividend for every American if Republicans win the midterms — a move that could bring the U.S. to the debt ceiling faster.