comment: >
  
  Or how about we legalize drugs and eliminate debt. 
  Or maybe tax the rich. 
  Or maybe stop spending almost a trillion on defense.
context: This, like so many of the political problems we have, all started with Newt Gingrich.  Before 1995 the debts ceiling was increased as a mostly pro-forma procedure, there were occasional complaints about it, but it always passed.  That was until Newt discovered that he could use it as a political weapon then it has became a regular rolling crisis. >
  
  
  That was until Newt discovered that he could use it as a political weapon
  
  Which is f'n stupid because that's literally what the 14th Amendment was to prevent when it says that "public debt...shall not be questioned". >
  
  Not surprising, really. They often conveniently always leave out the freedom of the press in the 1st and mangle the 2nd as well, don't they?
  The Constitution to conservatives means whatever they can make it mean and get away with. They've learned from centuries of the Christian Church doing so with the Bible. >
  
  From article:
  The White House on Friday called for the debt limit to be raised without conditions, laying down a marker ahead of what is likely to be a bruising fight with House Republicans in the coming months.
  “We believe, when it comes to the debt limit, it has been done in a bipartisan way over the years and decades. And it should be done in a bipartisan way. And it should be done without conditions. That is important here,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
  Jean-Pierre’s comments came shortly after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to warn the U.S. is projected to reach its roughly $31.4 trillion borrowing limit in less than a week, and the department would have to soon begin taking “extraordinary measures” to buy time for Congress to avoid default.
  Those measures would likely buy lawmakers until early June to reach a deal, Yellen said.
  Republicans are expected to use the looming debt default to try and secure cuts or reforms to government spending. A push among several conservatives for promised spending cuts was central to the fight last week over electing McCarthy Speaker, though many in the GOP have tried to distance themselves from talk of cutting Social Security or Medicare, two popular programs.
  But Jean-Pierre has been clear that the White House is not interested in engaging in those discussions, and any such proposals that pass the GOP-controlled House are unlikely to get through the Democratic-controlled Senate. White House officials have warned that a U.S. default would could have catastrophic consequences for the economy. 
  “This is not political gamesmanship,” Jean-Pierre said. “This should be done without conditions. And that’s how we see this process moving forward.” >
  
  I said this in another comment, this is where Biden wanted Obama to go during his presidency but Obama always negotiated with the GOP.  Now that Biden is in power, it looks like he's pretty determined to let the GOP wallow in the trough they built.  Historically the party responsible for the shutdown takes the blame.  I think Biden is banking on that happening this time. >
  
  This will be way worse than a shut down if it happens. >
  
  Yeah the last time they shut down the government, the economic repercussions lasted 2 years. This time they look like they're hell bent on defaulting on the debt unless we let them gut medicare and social security.
  I have read that a default on the debt could kick off a cascade of events that lead to a world war. I really don't want to test that theory out. >
  
  Source for that? Interested reader >
  
  I don’t know about a world war, but a global economic collapse is pretty much the default prediction. >
  
  The Democrats extended it long enough to make it into a new Congress.
  This is only a problem because the Republicans are chaotic pieces of trash unwilling to govern, for a party that's not completely useless having to do their job isn't a problem at all >
  
  But why are the democrats also unwilling to govern?  
  They had 2 years to deal with the issue, along with 2 months knowing they will lose control in January. How did they decide to let the issue get sent to the GQP for 2023? >
  
  “Why didn’t they do enough to stop the idiots from breaking everything”. 
  Maybe the issue is with the idiots who break stuff. >
  
  Republicans have been in power what? A week and a half? Two years Democrats have been in charge then two weeks into Republican control the debt ceiling is hit. I’m not sure how that’s all on the GOP. >
  
  How many things here alone have people said they should have done I  the lame duck session? Do people realize it still takes months to pass shit? They do not have time for everything and had to prioritize. >
  
  Yeah they passed funding after funding and when the bill was due it’s on the Republican house that just came in >
  
  We shouldn’t have a debt ceiling to begin with lol. Only us and Denmark have one. >
  
  The debt ceiling is arguably a figment of legal imagination anyways given the 14th amendment.
  Arguably, if we had a less crazy supreme court, there would be a viable method for getting rid of the debt ceiling by calling House Republicans' bluff. >
  
  Curious what leverage the House GOP actually has here in refusing to sign. Mega-corporations who donate to them would not be in support of crashing the economy. >
  
  I'm hoping at the end of the day there are at least enough blue state Republicans who will vote with Democrats to hike the debt ceiling.  With such a thin majority I'm somewhat optimistic.
  The MAGA crowd will let the country default and allow the economy to crash and burn.  They don't care.  They just want to inflict pain and suffering. >
  
  Let them govern and fail then.