We could avoid this entirely, but the idiot Congress LIKES it. I don't think any other country has a debt ceiling like the US. Why? Well, because when another country's government (legislature, dictator, voodoo shaman) authorizes spending on something, they also authorize paying for it.
But in the US, Congress says (to the executive branch) you can only collect 50 bajillion in taxes, no more, no less. Also, you have to spend 55 bajillion on these programs, no more, no less. Then the president says, "uh, okay, but I'll need to borrow 5 bajillion to do that because of math." In reply, Congress stamps its collective foot like a toddler and says "NO NO NO YOU HAVE TO ASK US FIRST! Why are you drowning this poor country in debt you spendthrift!"
This isn't the debt ceiling, this is the government funding bills, aka what they are budgeting for departments (that will then eventually require the debt ceiling to be raised because it's still a deficit)
Why do we keep doing this? This is embarrassing for our country and shows the rest of the world how incompetent our own government has become.
Every 6 months the government almost shuts down unless one political party or the other refuses to pass some horrible legislation while holding the other hostage.
If the US didn't have the military we have our credit would have been downgraded even further. Hell if Europe didn't need our military production right now, we'd probably lose credit rating. The entirety of sustained US international revalance is hinged on the fact that that we can kill anyone better than they can kill us.