The 14th Amendment...Use It So We Don't Have To Lose

[Me.]

Any more than we already have. If the Pres is going to walk his talk it will have to be this.

[FarLeftFist]

1. There is NO WAY 218 House GOP members will vote for a tax increase

I'm willing to bet on it. We are either defaulting or will use the 14th. No deal will be reached. Thats my prediction.

[bbgrunt]

2. we can only hope for this rather than the "big deal", but

I wouldn't count on it.

[TBMASE]

3. Nothing in the 14th amendment gives the president the power

to borrow money on the credit of the US. That power, specifically, resides with the congress.

[MrDiaz]

4. I agree

I was about to say that myself, just because the constitution says that "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law ... shall not be questioned." That does not automatically give the President the power to create his own debt ceiling when he sees fit.

[Kingofalldems]

8. So you support the republicans?

[indurancevile]

5. bill clinton disagrees with you

“I think the Constitution is clear and I think this idea that the Congress gets to vote twice on whether to pay for it has appropriated is crazy… is necessary to pay for appropriations already made.”

[TBMASE]

7. Only Congress has the power to borrow on the credit of the US

and Congress controls the purse strings. Bill Clinton's opinion doesn't trump the plain text of the US Constitution

[Renew Deal]

9. The plain text supports Clinton

Congress has the authority to spend money, but there's nothing that says anything about a credit limit. The money has already been authorized.

[Shrek]

6. The president should just raise taxes on the rich

If the 14th amendment empowers him to borrow money without congressional approval, then it also empowers him to unilaterally rewrite the tax code.

Increased revenue is certainly preferable to more debt.