Sell the aircraft carriers!

[SlipperySlope]

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm really hoping for a serious discussion.

Assuming that the Rethuglicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling, couldn't one make a good argument that the President is required to sell everything that Washington owns in order to make payments on the debt?

Article I section 8 says that congress - and only congress - can borrow money on the credit of the United States. Assume that no additional borrowing is allowed - period.

The 14th amendment says that the validity of the debt shall not be questioned. Assume that the debt must be paid - period.

If the debt must be paid and no additional borrowing happens, then the debt must be paid from assets already owned. (Let's ignore the platinum coin idea for the moment). If the debt must be paid from assets already owned, then wouldn't it be the constitutional duty of the President to begin selling assets in order to raise money to make the debt payments?

[Politicalboi]

1. We have drones now anyway

We don't need all the carriers we have. They should take those carriers to the outskirts of towns and let the homeless live in them. Either at a dock, or on land.

[tk2kewl]

2. privatize their fucking gym and make them pay for their memberships and

use the profits to pay down the debt.

hell, i bet there are a lot of other perks they get that we can make them pay for instead.

[kestrel91316]

3. RW runs things, and the RW won't sell precious military hardware. They WILL promptly

sell off our National Forests and National Parks to the highest bidder, who will permanently close them to all but 1%ers.

[DJ13]

4. They could sell them to billionaires

I could see someone like Larry Ellison buying one and building a mansion on the flight deck.

[hack89]

5. No other country could afford to operate them

they will not waste their money.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. This goes long enough, this is what I expect our Navy to look like

And given some have nuclear reactors on board that has a special danger to it.

[Scuba]

7. No.

[lastlib]

8. (Starting with the USS Ronald Reagan!)

Wouldn't THAT get right-wing panties in a wad??!?

[gejohnston]

9. scrap remaining strategic bombers

why bomb when you can hack?