- United States President Joe Biden believes he has the authority to invoke the 14th Amendment
- Such a move would allow the Democratic leader to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling even without support from Republicans
- Biden's remarks were made on the sidelines of the G7 Summit held in Hiroshima, Japan
United States President Joe Biden claims he has the authority to invoke the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, allowing him to raise the debt ceiling even without Republican support.
Despite the possibility of the Democratic leader making such a move to raise the debt ceiling above the current $31.4 trillion to avert a default, it could incite a protracted legal battle. This could smother his seemingly last-ditch strategy to address the issue.
Biden Claims Authority To Invoke 14th Amendment
In a statement, Biden said, "I'm looking at the 14th Amendment, as to whether or not we have the authority," then he believes they do. As per The Daily Beast, his remarks were made during a press conference around the G7 Summit held in Hiroshima, Japan.
The Democrat added that the only question now is whether it could be done and invoked in time and would not be appealed. Despite Biden's claims, legal experts and White House aides have argued that they are skeptical of such a clause to address the debt ceiling issue.
The situation comes as progressive lawmakers renew their calls for Bidne to bypass Congress to avert a default. On the other hand, the White House sees no reason not to continue negotiations regarding the issue.
In recent days, senior Biden administration officials have told progressive activists and lawmakers that they do not see the invocation of the 14th Amendment as a good way of circumventing talks.
According to Politico, White House officials have been studying the issue for several months, and some aides have concluded that the president would most likely have the authority to declare that the debt limit is unconstitutional.
Addressing Debt Ceiling Issues
But the president's advisers said that invoking the 14th Amendment is a poor decision because it could undermine global faith in the U.S.'s creditworthiness and damage the economy. They also warned that considering the idea could adversely affect ongoing negotiations.
The White House acknowledged that both parties are at an impasse regarding the debt ceiling. On the other hand, Republicans cited various disagreements they had over the level of spending restrictions.
One White House official said there are real differences between the lawmakers from both parties regarding budget issues, acknowledging that negotiations will be difficult. They noted that Biden and his team were working toward a reasonable bipartisan solution to the problem.
This also comes after Biden and McCarthy had a "productive" phone call and are set to resume negotiations regarding the issue on Monday. When asked if he was more helpful after talking to Biden, the House Speaker said that the current situation was better than what they had previously, said Reuters.
