Tell Democrats: We cannot allow Republicans to hold the United States economy hostage. Abolish the Debt Ceiling and bring an end to this Republican manufactured crisis

The United States hit its debt limit at the end of July.

If America defaults on its obligations, essential payments like Social Security, monthly child tax credit, Medicaid, and free school lunches would all be in serious jeopardy.

Once this limit was reached, the Treasury Department was forced to take extraordinary measures to keep our nation from defaulting on its obligations. A deal has been reached to temporarily raise the debt ceiling, but this deal does not solve the issue. It just pushes the fight down the line until early December.[1]

This is why a diverse group of economic leaders has endorsed our call to abolish the debt ceiling, from progressive Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen[2] to Jamie Dimon[3], the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the largest American bank.

Raising the debt ceiling, once considered a routine duty of Congress to pay our bills, is now used by Republicans as an opportunity to threaten and extort concessions from Democrats.

From a playbook right out of 2011 and 2013, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans will still force the country into yet another economic cliffhanger as they looked to hold the debt ceiling hostage unless President Biden agrees to cuts on Social Security and Medicare.[4]

Fortunately, there are two ways to end the hostage-taking once and for all: Congress could use the budget reconciliation process to eliminate the debt ceiling or President Biden could do it by executive order.[5]

Either way, with the deadline pushed to December, President Biden and Senate Democrats must stand up to Republican obstruction and use their respective powers to end this Republican manufactured crisis.

Sign the petition calling on Senate Democrats and President Biden to abolish the Debt Ceiling and bring an end to this Republican manufactured crisis.

As Congress barrels toward another shutdown over the national debt and the debt ceiling, Republicans are yet again using their own manufactured crisis to hold Social Security and Medicare hostage, determined to get cuts in exchange for a debt-ceiling hike.

It’s clear Republicans value their own political ambitions more than the full faith and credit of the United States. Our country desperately needs Democrats to act before McConnell and Senate Republicans finally push us over the edge into a financial disaster.

With the Biden administration putting out a memo detailing how "Hitting the debt ceiling could cause a recession,” now is the time to keep us safe from Republican hostage tactics and threats of economic collapse by adding your name in calling on Senate Democrats and President Biden to abolish the Debt Ceiling and bring an end to this Republican manufactured crisis now.

[1] Senate approves short-term debt ceiling increase, The Hill, Oct 2021
[2] Yellen lends support for effort to remove the debt ceiling altogether, CNBC, Sept 2021
[3] Jamie Dimon: 'We should get rid of this debt ceiling', Yahoo Finance, Oct 2021
[4] Social Security Shouldn’t Be Dragged Into Debt Limit Debate, National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, Sept 2021
[5] How Joe Biden could end the debt ceiling — all by himself, VOX, Sept 2021,