Fitch Ratings agency said today (Tuesday) that if policymakers on Capitol Hill drag their heels in raising the country's debt ceiling, Fitch could issue a U.S. credit rating downgrade.
David Riley, managing director of the leading credit ratings firm said Tuesday that he is concerned about an impending credit crisis and cautioned that failure to raise the debt ceiling by March 1 will activate a formal review of the nation's coveted AAA rating.
"The pressure on the U.S. rating, if anything, is increasing," Riley said during a conference in London. "We thought the 2011 crisis was a one-off event... if we have a repeat we will place the U.S. rating under review."
Fitch presently maintains a "negative" outlook on the United States, and plans to decide this year if a downgrade is warranted.