[ad_1]
There is a face-saving way to avoid the cliff. The Senate amends the House bill whatever to pass it (no filibuster allowed). The House does not accept the Senate’s amendments, so the bill is sent to conference for reconciliation of the two versions.
By mutual agreement, both the Senate and the House appoint a bipartisan group of conference negotiators from their chambers. Also, by mutual agreement, whatever reconciled bill is produced receives their leadership’s support for final vote.
If the reconciled bill passes, Mr. McCarthy can say the House sent the Senate the bill Republicans wanted, and Biden can say he did not negotiate the debt limit. They can both blame the bipartisan negotiators for being the grown-ups. If the negotiators cannot reach a reconciled bill, God help the country.
Patrick McGregor, Millersville
Failing to raise the debt ceiling and plunging the federal government into default will create financial chaos, cause an economic downturn and harm millions of people. Those who argue that the president should negotiate with House Republicans to avoid this disaster miss a fundamental point.
If the president gives in, the U.S. economy will be held hostage to GOP demands each time the debt ceiling must be raised. We will have implicitly amended the Constitution by giving a razor-thin majority in one chamber of Congress the power to set the budget. If we give such power to what James Madison would have called a “faction,” the entire trajectory of the country will be altered in a way that the framers of the Constitution never intended.
If the GOP continues on its current course, the administration has to allow the default to happen and explain to the country why refusing to give in to Republican demands is the only responsible course.
[ad_2]
Source link
