The U.S. debt ceiling is cause for serious concern, and President Joe Biden finds himself in a difficult situation.
He has threatened to invoke the 14th Amendment in order to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling, which is a highly controversial idea. Experts, journalists, and politicos alike have expressed grave reservations.
And Biden should be aware of the potential consequences — because one of those consequences is impeachment.
A major deadline is looming large on the horizon and right now, negotiations between the GOP and the Biden administration haven’t gone anywhere according to recent reports. So Biden is talking about taking historic action.
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution reads as follows:
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.
However, the repercussions of this could be catastrophic (via The Daily Caller):
Legal experts and GOP lawmakers are warning of severe consequences, including impeachment and a sovereign debt default, should President Joe Biden invoke the 14th Amendment to unilaterally raise the U.S. debt ceiling.
Republican lawmakers and legal experts say that using the 14th Amendment will cause all sorts of problems.
In fact, it could even lead to a default, which would be disastrous for the country. There might also be all sorts of Congressional issues, and the legal implications shouldn’t be ignored.
New York University professor of law Richard Epstein added that POTUS “cannot unilaterally do this unless he wants to risk an impeachable offense.”
Epstein said the “authorized by law” part of the 14th Amendment means that any debt to be paid must be approved by Congress, and they have the sole power to create laws under the Constitution.
National Review Institute member Andrew McCarthy echoed this by saying:
…[t]he president is sworn to uphold the Constitution and execute the laws — including the statutory debt ceiling — faithfully.
The failure to do these things is obviously impeachable.
McCarthy says doing this would qualify as “the most unconstitutional move” of Biden’s entire presidency.
Even Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said it would be a terrible idea, as it would result in a “constitutional crisis.” And Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said “nothing in the 14th Amendment” gives Biden such power.
Biden has been accused of taking unconstitutional stances before, and some claim he’s already made moves that go against the Constitution.
If he does this, though, some experts say it would be the worst move yet — and put America in even greater danger.
Key Takeaways:
- Joe Biden has threatened to invoke the 14th Amendment to unilaterally raise the U.S. debt ceiling.
- Republican lawmakers and legal experts say it would be a disaster, and could actually lead to Biden’s impeachment.
- Law professor Richard Epstein and the National Review Institute’s Andrew McCarthy both say it can’t be done, because it’s entirely unconstitutional.
