It’s right there, clearly stated in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution: “The validity of the public debt of the United States… shall not be questioned.”

But today, radical Republicans have pushed us to the brink of default, demanding draconian cuts to critical programs, simply to honor debts the U.S. has legally incurred. This default would trigger a massive financial disaster.

The world economy would be thrown into turmoil. Interest rates would skyrocket. Stocks and 401(k)s would plummet. The U.S. dollar could lose its status as the world’s major currency, and millions of Americans would lose their jobs

Three times under President Trump and seven times under President Bush, Republicans raised the debt ceiling without drama. Now radical Republicans like Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump himself, actually want to blow up the economy because they think the chaos will help them politically. As the crisis looms, they are increasing the demands.

Trump added $7.8 trillion more to the nation’s debt -- more than any other president before him, but now that Republicans control the House, the MAGA faithful claim to care about the deficit again. They are demanding hurtful cuts to food stamps, Medicaid, clean energy, and virtually every federal program that helps American families. While at the same time, they’ve rejected out of hand any proposals to repeal tax cuts and loopholes for the wealthy.

Showdowns over the debt ceiling have been going on for a long time. In 1985, the Reagan administration managed to avoid default by threatening to raid Social Security, borrow from the railroad and military retirement trust funds, and sell gold from the U.S. reserve. Biden could choose different targets, like the Pentagon for example, but what Reagan demonstrated is there’s no end to the measures the Treasury could use to keep paying the bills.

Today, Biden should direct Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to continue to use every means imaginable to pay the debt.

Who is to say a Treasury secretary acted unreasonably in paying a lawful claim on the U.S. government? If McCarthy and House Republicans don’t like it, let them take the Biden administration to court.

Let House Republicans argue in the courts that the 1917 act establishing the debt ceiling has precedence over Section 4 of the 14th Amendment.

Let them claim that the 1917 debt-ceiling act takes precedence over more recent acts of Congress that require the president to, for example, pay interest on the federal debt, pay bills from defense contractors, and distribute Social Security benefits.

Let McCarthy and House Republicans argue that they have standing to sue Biden for having the audacity to pay the government’s debts as they come due.

Finally, let them demand openly and publicly in court that Biden not honor the full faith and credit of the United States -- with predictably disastrous results. Add your name to sign the petition now.

Tell President Biden:
Stop negotiating. Invoke the 14th Amendment and ignore the debt ceiling.
Keep paying the bills, and preserve the full faith and credit of the United States now.