Final answer:
The statement is true (a); the debt ceiling was raised multiple times from 2006 to 2011. Political strife during this period culminated in the Budget Control Act of 2011, and again in the 2013 government shutdown and budget conflict over the Affordable Health Care Act. These events demonstrate the politically charged nature of fiscal policies like the debt ceiling debate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement regarding Treasury Secretary Geithner's warning that the government would breach the debt ceiling on August 2, 2011, unless lawmakers voted to increase it is true. Between 2006 and 2011, the U.S. government's debt ceiling was indeed raised multiple times. Fierce political debates, particularly over spending priorities and whether to raise the national debt limit, characterized this period. Budget approval and debt ceiling negotiations are closely tied, a fact underscored by the 2013 government shutdown, where Congress and the President could not agree on a budget, largely due to disagreements over the Affordable Health Care Act and spending cuts.
In 2011, after much debate and political strife documented by the media, the Budget Control Act was passed, raising the debt ceiling but also initiating spending reductions and creating automatic cuts known as sequestrations. The ongoing fiscal debates showcase the deep divisions among political parties, emphasizing how decisions on the debt ceiling affect confidence in the government's fiscal responsibility and its ability to invest in the country's future.