What is the debt ceiling?

With a shutdown of the government looming, lawmakers on Capitol Hill find themselves at an impasse over the debt ceiling – a limit set by Congress on how much the US can borrow.

President-elect Donald Trump wants a provision included in the spending bill that would raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit.

But some of his own Republican Party lawmakers have balked at supporting a bill that would increase government spending.

On Thursday, 235 members of the House of Representatives – including 38 Republicans – voted against this Donald Trump-backed deal.

Here’s what to know about the debt ceiling.

The debt ceiling is the limit on the amount of money the government can borrow to pay its bills.

This includes paying for federal employees, Social Security and Medicare, as well as the US military and interest on the national debt and tax refunds.

Since first setting a debt limit of $45bn in 1939, the…