With the #DebtCeiling max’d out, I suggest Americans save money by eliminating the salaries of #GOP Congressional members, eliminate security for #SCOTUS and #traitors like #Trump, and recall the $20 billion given to oil companies. That’s a good start. #USPolitics #USPol
GOP Congressional members (or anyone in that branch of government) didn't max out the debt ceiling, though.
That's a different branch of government, the executive branch.
@volkris The national debt is the cumulative amount of money the government has borrowed throughout our nation’s history. I suggest you look into how #GOP bills increase the deficit. Remember “Trump’s Wasteful Tax Cuts Lead To Continued Trillion Dollar Deficits In Expanding Economy” or just as recently as last week “CBO: GOP’s IRS bill will add $114B to deficit”. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3805913-cbo-gops-irs-bill-will-add-114b-to-deficit/
Again, borrowing is done through the Treasury, an executive branch agency, not a legislative branch agency.
You could say that Republican presidents contributed to that and you'd be right, but the national debt is squarely a product of executive branch action.
We're letting an awful lot of people escape accountability by misunderstanding how the federal government actually operates, and which branch of government does what.
@volkris What! Legislation adds debt. The debt limit simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that CONGRESS and presidents of both parties have made in the past. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 added almost $2 trillion to the debt. When you cut taxes for the rich through legislation and fail to provide an alternative source of revenue, that leads to more debt.
The Treasury issues debt.
The Treasury is not part of the legislative branch of government.
So the way it works in the US government is that Congress writes legislation authorizing the coequal executive branch to take on certain amounts of debt.
I know, I really do wish reporters would be more clear about how the government actually functions and who's responsible for what.
But no, the legislative branch only legislates. The executive branch actually makes stuff happen.
Not quite.
US debt is only increased by having the Treasury actually issue bonds and such.
Even after Congress votes authorize borrowing, the debt isn't increased until the Treasury actually goes out and borrows. Until then, it has legal authorization, but the debt hasn't changed.
The Treasury is part of the Executive branch, like all other executive agencies. So yes, the Executive Branch is responsible for increasing US debt; all the Legislative Branch can do is sign laws.
(And conduct oversight of how the Executive Branch is executing its laws.)
@volkris So according to you the legislature can pass laws that increase US debt, but only the Executive Branch is responsible?