US President Joe Biden has partially shortened the overseas tour schedule for debt ceiling negotiations, but as negotiations have become difficult, voices are growing that the government should act independently based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. However, as it is controversial, it is unlikely that President Biden will actually choose such a number.
President Biden said at a press conference held in Hiroshima, Japan on the 21st before returning home, to a question related to Article 14 of the Amendment, “We are looking into Article 14 of the Constitution regarding whether we have the authority.”
However, he said, “The question remains as to whether it will be possible to realize it in time, and whether it will not be possible to go beyond the deadline due to an appeal and eventually face default. It is a question that has not yet been resolved.”
Previously, Politico, a media specializing in American politics, reported that when negotiations between the White House and the Republican Party to raise the debt ceiling reached a stalemate, “progressives within the Democratic Party again asked President Biden to bypass Congress and avoid default.”
The White House also said that it had studied the 14th Amendment to the Constitution for several months and concluded that President Biden had the authority to consider the debt ceiling law unconstitutional as a last resort. This can be used as a basis for the government to directly issue debt to avoid default.
However, as President Biden showed a reserved attitude at the press conference that day, it seems unlikely that Article 14 of the Amendment will be brought to the fore in connection with this negotiation.
Regarding the remarks, the Associated Press explained, “President Biden said that he is ruling out the possibility of taking action on his own to avoid default,” and that “the proposal to apply Article 14 of the Amendment will be blocked in court.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also said in an interview with NBC that day, “Time is running out and legal uncertainty is high, so it doesn’t seem like an appropriate solution.”
Some Democrats have consistently argued that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution stipulates that ‘all debts of the federal government must be complied with’, and that it is possible for the administration to directly raise the debt ceiling based on this.
Meanwhile, President Biden made a call with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to resume debt ceiling negotiations, and decided to hold a third meeting on the 22nd.
President Biden canceled his visits to Papua New Guinea and Australia and returned home from Hiroshima, Japan, to Washington, USA.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.