Obama says he can't raise debt ceiling on his own [View All]

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Source: USA Today

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/obama-speaks-at-university-of-maryland/1

President Obama said today that Congress has to avoid a government default by raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling because his lawyers say he lacks the authority to do so on his own.

Responding to a questioner at the University of Maryland, Obama struck the "14th amendment theory" -- that the Constitution gives the president the authority to make sure the nation's debts are paid, including an increase in the debt ceiling.

"There's a provision in our Constitution that speaks to making sure that the United States meets its obligations, and there have been some suggestions that a president could use that language to basically ignore this debt ceiling rule, which is a statutory rule; it's not a constitutional rule," Obama said.

He said, "I have talked to my lawyers ... They're not persuaded that that is a winning argument."

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/obama-speaks-at-university-of-maryland/1

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I've been sure Obama knew all about the 14th Amendment and the answer is that he thinks it does not apply.