The U.S. hit its $16.39 trillion debt limit on Dec. 31, setting the stage for another showdown between Congress and the White House. The last go around pushed the government to the brink of default, as President Obama and Republican lawmakers struggled to agree on deficit cuts as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Converting the debt limit into dollar bills stacked end to end is four and half times as high as the distance between the earth's surface and the moon, a money trail that would wrap around the earth more than 46 times.
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