Can't we separate negotiating a budget ( spending, taxes etc) that applies to the coming year (s) from paying for debts we've already incurred? At the moment it seems we're contemplating stiffing all kinds of companies ( etc) that agreed to and started performing services for us such as building infrastructure. We already agreed to spend money for ships, pay military retirements, Social Security and on and on. The time to reduce the amount of such spending was when the House and Senate passed previous budgets ( along with current and future budgets). What's happening now is politicians who were on the losing end of the last budget vote are trying to use this debit limit tool to reverse the will of the majority. We see this everywhere with the filibuster, gerrymandering etc.
I'd like to see the 14th amendment idea exercised
"Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights
Section 4 Public Debt
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."
Can't we separate negotiating a budget ( spending, taxes etc) that applies to the coming year (s) from paying for debts we've already incurred? At the moment it seems we're contemplating stiffing all kinds of companies ( etc) that agreed to and started performing services for us such as building infrastructure. We already agreed to spend money for ships, pay military retirements, Social Security and on and on. The time to reduce the amount of such spending was when the House and Senate passed previous budgets ( along with current and future budgets). What's happening now is politicians who were on the losing end of the last budget vote are trying to use this debit limit tool to reverse the will of the majority. We see this everywhere with the filibuster, gerrymandering etc.
I'd like to see the 14th amendment idea exercised
"Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights
Section 4 Public Debt
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."
Or maybe, just maybe, constraints on defense spending will finally allow us to take Goldwater-Nichols out back and put it down?
More money for the Navy and Air Force, less for the Army.