charge off

[jctgf]

If the U.S. Congress is going to get a second crack at rescuing an economy charging off a cliff, it has to quickly come up with an answer to a question which should be concerning Americans and consumers worldwide.

Hi there,
I wonder what the underlined text mean, please.
Thanks.

[colloquium]

When someone charges they move quickly (sometimes violently) and often carelessly.

He began running through the room and charged directly into a table!

To charge off is to charge away.

I told her to stop shouting and she charged off.

A careless person may fall off a cliff, or a person commiting suicide may jump off a cliff. Regardless of whatever action causes someone to go over the edge of a cliff, it can undoubtedly be considered a bad situation. That is the important thing to bear in mind when considering the meaning of off the cliff in this sentence.

The general meaning of an economy charging off a cliff is an economy which is on the path to destruction.

If the U.S. Congress is going to get a second crack at rescuing an economy charging off a cliff...

The above clause can be paraphrased as:

If the U.S. Congress is going to get a second crack at rescuing an economy heading into serious trouble...

I am not a teacher.