It’s actually a fact. Not a democratic talking point.

From the very democratic leaning US Chamber of Commerce:

What Exactly Is the Debt Limit? The debt limit is the total amount of money the U.S. federal government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing financial obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, salaries of members of the military, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments.
Raising the debt limit does not amount to new spending by the federal government. It only allows the government to continue borrowing to fund spending Congress has already approved.
U.S. debt increases over time as the government runs a deficit – or when total spending exceeds the amount of money the federal government collects – and periods of sustained debt increases cause the federal government to reach the debt limit.

https://www.uschamber.com/economy/what-is-the-debt-ceiling-and-why-does-it-matter#:~:text=The%20debt%20limit%20is%20the,tax%20refunds%2C%20and%20other%20payments.