Republicans Close to Violating the Constitution

National Journal asks: “Have Republicans forgotten that they too must abide by the Constitution?”

The 14th amendment is explicit in its instruction to America’s federally elected officials: “The validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned.”

“This is not some arcane biblical reference that needs to be translated from scraps of parchment. In fact, its purpose and intent are fairly well documented. The amendment is the product of a post-Civil War Congress that wanted to be sure the country would not be saddled with Confederate debt, and that the debts of United States would be honored. Then, as now, this promise written into the Constitution offered creditors confidence that lending to America – indeed, investing in America – would be safe.”