Years of rising deficits and budget chaos finally caught up with the U.S. credit rating Friday when Moody’s Investor Service downgraded the government, stripping its last triple-A rating.

Moody’s has followed in the footsteps of credit rating agencies S&P Global and Fitch Ratings, downgrading their AAA rating on U.S. debt. The move comes amid ongoing challenges associated with mounting U.

Moody's on Friday downgraded the credit rating of the United States by a notch to "Aa1" from "Aaa", citing rising debt and interest "that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns." U.S.