Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declares he’s '100 percent confident' the debt ceiling will be raised

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at a Friday press briefing that he's "100 percent confident" the debt ceiling will be raised in September. "I think there is no scenario where the government won't be paying its bills," Mnuchin said, attempting to assuage concerns about whether the government will continue to be funded. Trump threatened this week to shut down the government if he doesn't get his funding soon for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Asked to explain why Trump on Thursday tweeted that the debt ceiling debate is a "mess" while lashing out at Republican congressional leaders for complicating the matter, Mnuchin insisted that everyone is "on the same page." "I think the president and I wish that they had raised the debt ceiling before they left [for August recess]," Mnuchin said. "Having said that, we are where we are, and we're going to get it done."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up