The Debt Ceiling and the Constitution

Raising the debt ceiling and authorizing the US Treasury to issue more debt to pay existing obligations are constitutional issues. The 14th Amendment should be invoked. It states, “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of [various expenses] shall not be questioned.” The word “including” here means “not limited to,” so expenses already legally incurred are debts of the United States “which shall not be questioned.” Arguably, Congressional Republicans are questioning the validity of our debt by refusing to...