Far-left Democrats are working on a plan to continue spending hundreds of billions more dollars than the federal government takes in should they not get Republicans to go along with kicking the national debt can further down the road for future generations to pay.
As debt ceiling talks between the Republican House majority and the White House continue, nearly a dozen of Congress’ most extremist Democrats have sent President Joe Biden a letter demanding that he invoke a constitutional provision to force Republicans to raise the limit.
“Using this authority would allow the United States to continue to pay its bills on-time, without delay, preventing a global economic catastrophe,” they wrote.
The senators cite Section Four of the 14th Amendment, which 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.”
Biden announced last week that he is considering invoking the 14th Amendment, noting that left-wing Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe “thinks that it would be legitimate.” But Biden also warned if he does so, the decision would likely be litigated, and “in the meantime, without an extension, it would still end up in the same place.”
While Republicans have emphasized the viewpoints of legal experts who oppose the president’s use of the 14th Amendment, even some officials within the Biden administration have expressed reservations. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has recently stated that invoking the 14th Amendment is of dubious legality and has the potential to trigger a “constitutional crisis.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has advised President Biden to proceed with the tactic regardless. Raskin argued that the 14th Amendment serves as “an operations manual for how the president should respond to extortion and threats by a faction of Congress.”
Other provisions of the Constitution, however, give Congress the sole authority to pass spending — called “appropriations” — bills, detailing that a president’s only role in the process is signing or vetoing the legislation.
In January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed Congress that the United States had reached the statutory debt limit of around $31.4 trillion. She advised that the Treasury Department would need to employ “extraordinary measures” to ensure the government’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations, but these measures would only provide short-term relief.
With the buffer period set to expire possibly as early as next month, officials have cautioned about the severe repercussions this could have on the economy.
Meanwhile, there are encouraging signs that a deal is within reach.
The White House cited a “productive and direct meeting” on Tuesday, and on Thursday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters he envisions a “path” to a deal.
