Budget expert predicts GOP will avoid second debt fight

Budget expert Stan Collender predicts Congress will raise the debt ceiling by the end of the month because they don’t want to wage a war that could cause the U.S. to default on its payments.

Collender, the executive vice president of Qorvis MSLGROUP, said because the GOP took a beating during October’s government shutdown, Republicans will be more reluctant to wage a war that could cause the U.S. to default.

The $16.7-trillion debt limit was extended until this Friday after Congress struck a deal to reopen the government.

The Treasury will be able to use “extraordinary measures” to pay the nation’s bills for a few weeks, but has said Congress must take action by the end of the month or is coffers will run dry.