With the August 2 deadline just days away from the U.S. running out of money, some wonder if Obama will try to use the 14th Amendment to get the debt ceiling raised without congressional approval.
The 14th Amendment states that "the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law...shall not be questioned."
Can a president undertake borrowings to undertake expenditures not approved by the Congress? That would, in principle, involve a significant constitutional crisis.
I'd say call his bluff and if he does it, impeach him.
The context of the 14th Amendment is the Civil War and its subsequent debts. The American tradition has never been to have such reckless and self-serving politicians in office. However, this is what we are stuck with, two parties advancing their own political agenda without regard for the Constitution or the American people, much less our posterity. Washington would like to twist the plain and simple meanings of the Constitutional words for their own ends. Its despicable.
Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.