**Debate Club** Passing a “clean” debt ceiling increase is a Constitutional Duty

The Fourteenth amendment, section 4 reads:

“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,”

Section 5 gives Congress the power to enforce this.

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/14th-amendment

As such, is it not the Constitutional Duty of the US Congress to raise the debt ceiling so as to avoid invalidating the public debt of the USA?

Is there any case to be made where using this as leverage is not an obvious dereliction of duty? As this does call it into question.

Let’s debate!

R&I~Smit

Best in Moderation

Article URL : https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/14th-amendment