In 2011 the US reached a debt ceiling deal, but the standoff led Standard & Poor's to downgrade the US government's credit rating.

True: in 2011 the US enacted a debt-ceiling agreement (for example the Budget Control Act, August 2011), and Standard & Poor's then downgraded the US long-term sovereign credit rating, citing the political brinkmanship or standoff among its reasons. Mostly true: the deal and the downgrade both happened, but S&P's stated rationale emphasised other factors more than the standoff, or a minor detail such as the timing is off. Mostly false: S&P downgraded the US in 2011 but not after a debt-ceiling deal, or for reasons unrelated to the standoff. False: S&P did not downgrade the US in 2011, or there was no debt-ceiling deal that year.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 S & P statement on U.S. debt downgrade CBS News (republishing Standard & Poor's statement) · 5 August 2011

   “We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress”

2. E2 US loses AAA credit rating after S&P downgrade BBC News · 6 August 2011

   “"The first thing it could have done is raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner so the debate would have been avoided to begin with," he said.”

3. E3 US loses AAA credit rating after S&P downgrade BBC News · 6 August 2011

   “The bill - which also raises the federal debt ceiling by up to $2.4tn, from $14.3tn, over a decade - was passed on Tuesday just hours before the expiry of a deadline to raise the US borrowing limit.”

4. E4 US loses AAA credit rating after S&P downgrade BBC News · 6 August 2011

   “S&P cut the long-term US rating by one notch to AA+ with a negative outlook, citing concerns about budget deficits.”

BBC reported on 2011-08-06 that a bill raising the federal debt ceiling passed hours before the borrowing-limit deadline (E3), and that S&P then cut the US long-term rating to AA+ (E4). In its own statement, republished by CBS on 2011-08-05, S&P said it lowered the rating partly because of "the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling" (E1). The BBC also quotes a speaker saying the debate could have been avoided by raising the debt ceiling in a timely manner (E2). The deal and a downgrade that cited the standoff are both confirmed.