First, that won't happen. If the Fed started pumping an additional $150 B a month to the government and that fact was announced, inflation would immediately skyrocket.
Second, the treasury has places to borrow money that will stave off the debt limit effects into February or March.
The fiscal cliff mostly refers to the Sequestration cuts to defense and other government programs and the end of the Bush tax cuts. The end of the tax cuts only raises a little over $500 B but maybe if people see what they are going to have to pay to raise this 1/2 trillion dollars they will realize how far out of whack government spending is. Below are the effects this will have on taxpayers. It does NOT include the end to the FICA tax cut which is also coming Jan. 1st nor some ObamaCare taxes.
Annual income: $20,000 to $30,000.
Average tax increase: $1,064.
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Annual income: $40,000 to $50,000.
Average tax increase: $1,729.
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Annual income: $50,000 to $75,000.
Average tax increase: $2,399.
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Annual income: $75,000 to $100,000.
Average tax increase: $3,688.
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Annual income: $100,000 to $200,000.
Average tax increase: $6,662.
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Annual income: $200,000 to $500,000.
Average tax increase: $14,643.
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Annual income: $500,000 to $1 million.
Average tax increase: $38,969.
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Annual income: More than $1 million.
Average tax increase: $254,637.