The federal government's budgeting process can seem confusing, but the bottom line is this: raising the debt ceiling doesn't add or create any new debt. It's simply a promise the government makes to pay its bills.

Republicans want to exploit the debt ceiling and force the United States Treasury to default on its existing obligations — or otherwise have the government enact severe spending cuts that would hurt everyday people.

Raising the debt ceiling--keeping the promise the U.S. government makes to pay its bills--has become a partisan haggling tool Republicans use to sabotage and extort the government while risking our domestic economy and the global financial system.

It's time to end this charade.

Democrats have been working on a solution. U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, Tim Kaine, Chris Coons, and Dianne Feinstein have introduced the Protect Our CREDIT Act of 2023. The bill would allow the President to raise the debt limit, subject to a two-thirds disapproval vote by Congress. Notably, this idea originally came from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2011, during the previous legislative battle over the debt limit.

Raising the debt ceiling is the basic minimum that we expect from Congress. There can be no negotiation over a necessity.

Our economy is not a bargaining tool. Sign the petition to Congress: Raise the debt ceiling now, and prevent it from ever being held hostage again!