For the second time in less than two months, a
U.S. credit rating agency Thursday threatened to downgrade the top
status of the U.S. government's borrowing ability unless it resolves
its budget crisis.
Moody's Investors Services said on its website that if there were
"no progress" on lifting the current $14.3 trillion debt limit
"in coming weeks," it would review the U.S. government's current AAA
rating.
The outcome could be a "possible downgrade, due to the very small
but rising risk of a short-lived default," Moody's said.
In April, Standard & Poor's rating agency lowered its long-term
outlook for U.S. credit to negative but kept in place Washington's high
AAA/A-1+ rating for the time being, pending a resolution of the
budget crisis.
The U.S. government has already reached its borrowing limit, but
Congress has until Aug. 2 to reach an agreement on the matter. In
the interim, the Treasury Department is deploying stop-gap measures.
