Cw politics
President Biden absolutely can and should invoke the 14th amendment to raise the debt ceiling. This is a manufactured and unnecessary crisis.
Members of Congress and legal scholars call on Biden to invoke 14th Amendment over debt ceiling
#USPol #Politics #Biden #GOP #DebtCeiling #Congress #Alternet
https://www.alternet.org/biden-debt-ceiling/
Cw politics
The limitation on presidents acting to unilaterally borrow against the credit of the United States is not in the 14th Amendment but in the body of the Constitution which assigns that authority to the Congress.
It's because we don't want presidents to have the power to by themselves obligate potentially generations of citizens to repaying the debts of today instead of spending money on the needs of tomorrow.
So no, the president cannot claim that power. It is clearly given to the other branch of government, as a check in the checks and balances arrangement.
That being said, the 14th Amendment DOES obligate the president to service the debts out of revenues in the Treasury, so if he orders otherwise, that would be impeachable.
Cw politics
@volkris 14th amendment states:
"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned"
The debt ceiling is not new debt. Its just paying the debts we already agreed to pay. So "the validity of the public debt of the United States...shall not be questioned." Biden can and should use this. The GOP's acting unconstitutionally.
Cw politics
No it has nothing to do with the GOP acting.
The Treasury's monthly report shows that they have plenty of revenue to service their debts. This is 100% executive branch business at this point, since the Treasury will have enough money to pay the debt, it must, as per the 14th Amendment.
And there's nothing the GOP can do to change that since they are not holding the executive branch at the moment.
Biden's Treasury has enough money to service its debts according to its own accounting reports. This is out of the hands of the Congress and 100% up to Biden, and if he directs the Treasury to spend money on things other than servicing the debt, that would be an impeachable offense.
Even his threatening it to try to get more borrowing power is pretty bad.
