|

Debt ceiling deal keeps dollar locked in devaluation spiral

Fiscal hawks weren't optimistic when Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the U.S. House. The California Republican's track record was dismal when it comes to spending restraint.

Nearly 5 months into his term, it is now apparent McCarthy has no intention of holding the line against government expansion.

He just announced a deal with Biden to push off all further debate on the debt ceiling until 2025 while avoiding any reduction in spending.

He is, of course, selling the deal as if it were a crushing blow to Democrats.

McCarthy said, "Right now, the Democrats are very upset… there's nothing in the bill for them. There's not one thing in the bill for Democrats."

It isn't clear what he is talking about. The IRS is going to hang onto $79 of the $80 billion in increased funding it received in last year's Orwellian "Inflation Reduction Act."

There are no reductions for the rest of the federal bureaucracy, and there is a healthy increase for defense spending, including more handouts to Ukraine.

"Discretionary" spending today represents only about a third of the total federal budget.

The rest is comprised of defense, entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, and interest payments on the federal debt.

These supposedly non-discretionary categories are ballooning, and meaningful changes are politically untenable.

It only gets harder for politicians to balance the budget as time goes by.

Sure, it isn't over yet. McCarthy's budget deal still has to pass a vote in the full House. In the end, however, the debt ceiling will indeed be raised substantialy.

The key point, for gold and silver investors at least, is there will be no political solution to the inflationary problem at the heart of our monetary system. Americans can expect perpetual deficit spending and trillions per year of new debt issuance.

At this point, the budget deficits can only be supported by money printing and debt monetization from the Federal Reserve.

Federal obligations will be "paid" with ever more rapidly devaluing dollars. The nation is on a one-way road to ongoing currency debasement.


To receive free commentary and analysis on the gold and silver markets, click here to be added to the Money Metals news service.

Author

Clint Siegner

Clint Siegner

Money Metals Exchange

Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, the national precious metals company named 2015 "Dealer of the Year" in the United States by an independent global ratings group.

More from Clint Siegner
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD gains traction above 1.3400 as softer US CPI dampens Fed rate hike expectations

The GBP/USD pair gains ground to near 1.3405 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The US dollar weakens against the British Pound as softer-than-expected US inflation in June tempered expectations for US Federal Reserve policy tightening. The release of the US June Producer Price Index report will be in the spotlight later in the day. 

EUR/USD gathers strength above 1.1400 after soft US inflation data

The EUR/USD pair gains ground to near 1.1425 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday. The US Dollar weakens against the Euro as softer-than-expected US inflation data temporarily eased pressure on the Federal Reserve. Traders will take more cues from the US Producer Price Index report, which is due on Wednesday. 

Gold remains a ‘sell-on-rise’ trade amid US-Iran hostilities

Gold is resuming its downtrend toward two-week lows near $3,985 early Wednesday, following a temporary pullback seen on Tuesday, as there seems to be no end to the renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

Hyperliquid representatives, Trade[XYZ] meet SEC Crypto Task Force to discuss digital asset regulation

The US Securities and Exchange Commission's Crypto Task Force met with representatives from the Hyperliquid Policy Center, XYZ Ltd., which operates Trade[XYZ] and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP to discuss regulatory approaches to digital assets, according to a memorandum released Tuesday.

2% and nothing else: Why Warsh gave Congress three hours of Greenspan

The Federal Reserve Chair who wants the institution to say less spent Tuesday legally required to say more, on the one morning the data handed him something pleasant to say. June's Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% on the month, the steepest single-month decline since April 2020.

Five sessions, one round trip: Why the whipsaw is exactly what Warsh ordered

Markets opened July with a December hike as the base case and spent five trading sessions unlearning and relearning it. A 57K payrolls print bled the tightening bets out of the strip; a re-shut Strait of Hormuz is pushing them back in. Wednesday's minutes from the June FOMC meeting landed mid-round-trip, describing a world that had already stopped existing.