The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the federal government is allowed to borrow. When the federal government approaches the ceiling, Congress must raise it in order to authorize additional borrowing and the issuance of new debt by the Treasury.
An agency of the federal government that makes mortgage loans on rural property to farmers and to individuals who provide services to farmers and ranchers. Loans are made at below-market interest rates. Borrowers are required to purchase stock in their local land bank association, which serves as additional security for the loan.
Flood insurance is an insurance policy that covers property damage due to natural flooding. This type of insurance is offered by private insurers but is encouraged and subsidized by the federal government. Buyers using a federally related mortgage to purchase a property in a floodplain are required to purchase flood insurance.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), formerly known as the General Accounting Office, is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress, investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.
A Superfund is an account established by the federal government dedicated to cleaning up areas polluted with hazardous waste when no other source of payment is available.
