Obscure law contains debt limit escape hatch for Social Security - Roll Call

It’s a time-worn argument for raising the debt limit: Without increased borrowing authority, Social Security checks would stop flowing.

“Addressing the debt limit is about meeting obligations the government has already made, ensuring vital payments to Social Security recipients are uninterrupted and continuing to support our veterans,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a Feb. 13 joint statement.

Veterans benefits would in fact be at risk. But Social Security checks could still be issued — with some difficulty.