RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
And as lawmakers debate the budget, time is running out for Congress to resolve another crucial issue - raising the debt ceiling.
Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, says global markets and the global economy are at risk.
CHRISTINE LAGARDE: What players in the economy do not like - what markets do not like, what investors do not like, what job creators do not like - is the uncertainty, is being in the dark. They want to understand exactly what is taking place, when it is taking place, what the deal is. And at the moment, the uncertainty is not conducive to that level of trust and confidence.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
That's Christine Lagarde, who now heads the IMF. In a conversation with our colleague David Greene - which will broadcast more fully on Monday - she explains how her experience as a synchronized swimmer helps her to guide the world economy to the surface. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.