Editor’s note: The following letter was received before President Joe Biden signed the 2023 debt ceiling bill.
It is clear that the Constitution of the United States has mandated that the full faith and credit of the country cannot be abridged. That is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. On the other hand, the Congress has written a bill into law that limits the debt ceiling and our borrowing limits. This legislation is clearly in conflict with the 14th Amendment. It is time for the Congress to adhere to the Constitution and junk the debt limit legislation.
The reality is that Congress and the president are fond of spending more money than the government collects. That is called politics. Nobody likes to pay taxes. So under President Donald Trump the Congress wrote a tax reduction law that added about $2 trillion to the debt over 10 years. In this case, most of the tax reduction went to corporations and wealthy individuals. Most of the rest went to residents of low-tax states, unlike California. Politicians like to give away money, not take money.
It is clear that the budget process is broken. Only one president in the last three decades has had a balanced budget: Bill Clinton. Trump had to go back to the well three times for what amounts to a quarter of the debt incurred over a couple centuries. Now he says that Republicans should default on our debt. That worked for him as a businessman, but it will be a disaster for the country and the world economy.
Some Republicans in Congress believe Joe Biden was not fairly elected, and believe that he will be held more to blame than they are with a default on debts. Democrats should call their bluff and continue to pay our bills as mandated in the 14th Amendment. Then have another election in 2024 to get better representatives in Congress.
Thomas Oatway
Valencia
