Taking on the debt ceiling with a trillion dollar coin

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday that the federal government will run out of money to pay its bills as soon as Dec. 15 if the debt ceiling is not suspended or raised.One idea to ensure the government does not default, even if the debt ceiling is not raised, is to mint a trillion-dollar coin. Yellen has called this a gimmick, but some economists insist it’s a legitimate finance trick that can be used to stave off a default. Axios Re:Cap host Felix Salmon is joined by former U.S. Mint Director Philip Diehl to discuss the idea behind the trillion-dollar coin and whether it’s remotely likely to be minted in the next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Each weekday afternoon, Axios unpacks the biggest story of the day and why it matters. We'll take you inside the accelerating forces, technologies and trends that are remaking your world and work. About Axios: Axios is a digital media company launched in 2017. Axios - which means “worthy” in Greek - helps you become smarter, faster with news and information across politics, tech, business, media, science and the world. Subscribe to our newsletters at axios.com/newsletters and download our mobile app at axios.com/app.  Axios Re:Cap is on hiatus until October 2021.