Washington, May 18 (EFE).- Leftist Senator Bernie Sanders and several Democratic legislators urged US President Joe Biden to use the power conferred on him by a constitutional amendment to raise the debt ceiling without going through congressional approval.
“Is the 14th amendment the perfect solution? No, but using it would allow the United States to continue paying its bills on time and avoid economic catastrophe and devastating cuts for some of the most vulnerable people in the country,” Sanders said at a press conference.
That amendment establishes that the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, will not be questioned.
And the president could rely on it arguing that he has a constitutional duty to avoid non-payment.
The petition
The request to bypass the usual routes has so far been supported by 11 senators.
In addition, it comes at a time when Biden has intensified negotiations with congressional leaders to try to reach an agreement.
This same Wednesday the president was convinced that they will reach an agreement.
But he has canceled the trip he was going to make to Papua New Guinea and Australia after the G7 summit in Japan in order to return to Washington earlier and continue negotiations.
“The president should exercise his authority under the 14th amendment to protect our economy and the credit of our country,” Senator Ed Markey added to the press, who influenced the request that Biden do “whatever is necessary” to prevent Republicans from “Push the economy off a cliff.”
The group said it will support him in the process: “We know that this path has not been traveled before and that every president hesitates to go down untrodden paths, but we have his back. “
“We stand with him against this type of unacceptable hostage taking,” said Congressman Jeff Merkley.
US debt
The United States has never defaulted on its national debt.
But from time to time this possibility appears because, unlike other countries, its Executive can only issue debt up to the limit established by Congress, which has the power to suspend that ceiling as it sees fit.
The current limit, of 31.4 billion, was reached last January.
Currently, the Government is drawing on money in its reserves to pay off the debts it has contracted.
But the Treasury Department estimates that those reserves will be depleted on June 1.
The Republicans are trying to make their elevation conditional on spending cuts.
But Democrats oppose the two factors being linked:
“It would be just as disastrous to default on the debt as it would be to pass the outrageous Republican proposal,” Sanders warned.
