Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Who would have thought that the incompetence of the Trump Presidency and that blatant hypocrisy of the current House of Representatives would have so many reading the constitution. Hate to admit or relish the fact that I am one of them.

The current Squeaker of the House Kevin McCarthy seems intent on destroying the U.S. and world economy by defaulting on our debt by refusing to raise the Debt Ceiling unless draconian cuts ae made to the current budget that will hurt those most in need of assistance. This current House Majority seems to not understand that the debt limit is only paying for bills already incurred. McCarthy wants to use the child with a credit card comparison while not acknowledging that he and his party are the children. Even if that analogy did fit, they are proposing taking the credit card away but refusing to pay the charges that have already been incurred.

I think it is humorous that the party the claims to be strict constitutionalist haven’t read the document and seemingly don’t realize that there is an amendment that can stop them in their preverbal tracks.

XIV Amendment Section 4.

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. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

That section, historians say, was added because of fears that if former Confederate states were to regain political power in Congress, lawmakers might repudiate federal debts and guarantee Confederate debt. Reconstructionist Republicans also thought that the clause would discourage loans to future insurrectionists.

The important part of this section, “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.” This says to me that an arbitrary debt ceiling is unconstitutional based on this amendment.

 In 1939, Congress instituted the first limit on total accumulated debt over all kinds of instruments. The debt ceiling, in which an aggregate limit is applied to nearly all federal debt, was substantially established by Public Debt Acts passed in 1939 and 1941 and subsequently amended. This limit has been routinely increased without cause except in 2013 and currently.

In 2013 Members of the Republican Party in Congress opposed raising the debt ceiling, which had been routinely raised previously on a bipartisan basis without conditions, without additional spending cuts. They refused to raise the debt ceiling unless President Obama would have defunded the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), his signature legislative achievement. The US Treasury began taking extraordinary measures to enable payments, and stated that it would delay payments if funds could not be raised through extraordinary measures, and the debt ceiling was not raised. During the crisis, approval ratings for the Republican Party declined. The crisis ended on October 17, 2013 with the passing of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, although debate continues about the appropriate level of government spending, and the use of the debt ceiling in such negotiations.

This GOP wants:

Cap budget increases

The GOP bill limits increases in the federal budget to 1% per year, significantly slower than the rate of inflation and less than recent year-over-year budget increases, particularly since the pandemic. That isn’t likely to fly with Democrats, as it necessarily means cuts to discretionary spending. 

Impose work requirements for federal aid

The GOP bill imposes stricter work requirements to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding, formerly known as food stamps, for childless adults. The bill also requires each state to collect and submit information to the federal government about the percentage of people enrolled in SNAP who are in unsubsidized employment, as well as the median earning of people who were work-eligible after they exit the program. 

Rescind IRS funding

The Republican plan would also nix $80 million in additional IRS funding, including funding for thousands more agents, that was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans passed a bill to eliminate those additional positions before, but the bill died in the Senate. 

Recoup unspent pandemic relief funds

The Republican legislation recoups unspent federal COVID-19 relief funds approved in the American Rescue Plan and emergency relief packages passed in the final months of the Trump administration. While most of the money has been spent, Republicans — many of whom have long railed against the massive influx of federal spending — believe clawing back the remaining funds can help balance federal coffers. 

“The American people are tired of politicians who use COVID as an excuse for more extreme inflationary spending,” McCarthy said on the House floor Wednesday. “Now, if this money was authorized to fight the pandemic was not spent during the pandemic, it should not be spent after the pandemic is over.”

Unwind Biden’s student loan forgiveness program

Republicans’ bill would nullify Mr. Biden’s program forgiving student loan debt up to $20,000 per borrower. Under the plan, announced by the president last August, eligible borrowers can have up to $10,000 in student debt wiped clean, while qualifying Pell Grant recipients can have an additional $10,000 forgiven. The program has been on hold as legal challenges have made their way through the courts.

Roughly 40 million Americans are eligible for the relief. Mr. Biden extended a pause on federal student loan payments, first put in place by Trump in the early months of the pandemic, through June.

Separate from House Republicans’ effort to unwind the student loan forgiveness program, two challenges to the plan are pending before the Supreme Court. The justices are expected to issue a decision, which could invalidate the program, by the end of June.

Repeal provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by Mr. Biden last year and is Democrats’ marquee health care, tax and climate bill. The $740 billion package passed with only Democratic support.

Republicans now want to rescind key aspects of the law that were designed to combat climate change, including provisions establishing a high-efficiency electric home rebate program and home energy efficiency contractor training grants.

Implement Republicans’ signature energy bill

Included in the debt limit package is H.R. 1, the “Lower Energy Costs Act.” The legislation aims to boost American energy production and decrease dependency on foreign oil. The plan seeks to quicken the permitting process for energy and infrastructure projects and increase oil and gas production and sales.

It also includes a provision that prohibits the energy secretary from implementing any rules that would “directly or indirectly limit” consumer access to gas kitchen ranges and ovens. 

So, the GOP is holding the country hostage unless President Biden and the Democrats scrap any improvement that they have already made and promise not to help average citizens or reduce the impacts of climate change in the future.

I say pull the XIV Amendment card and tell Mc ‘DumbAss’ and his ilk to pound sand and continue to pay our bills. Then point out to them that of the debt their guy with their help is responsible for 25% of the total bill was created in 4 years.