US oil, gas leasing could emerge as a bargaining chip in debt ceiling fight

摘要

The risk of the US government defaulting on its debt is at its highest level in a decade and newly empowered Republicans could look to leverage that risk to sway energy policy, particularly the Biden administration’s stance on federal oil and gas leasing, energy analysts said Jan. 17. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week warned Congress that the US’ outstanding debt was projected to reach the $31.381 trillion statutory limit Jan. 19. Without congressional action to increase or suspend the debt limit, she could not guarantee that “extraordinary measures” undertaken by Treasury would be sufficient to “protect the full faith and credit” of the US beyond early June.