The Republican Debt Ceiling Gambit Is Unconstitutional

[Bill USA]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/18/1471191/the-republican-debt-ceiling-gambit-is-unconstitutional/

House Republicans are backing away from their threat to plunge the United States into a catastrophic budget default and will instead pursue the somewhat less reckless strategy of passing a three-month increase in the debt limit. According to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), the bill will also contain a provision cutting off congressional pay unless both houses meet a particular milestone: “If the Senate or House fails to pass a budget in that time, members of Congress will not be paid by the American people for failing to do their job. No budget, no pay.”

Before Cantor gets too excited about this plan, however, he may want to familiarize himself with the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution:

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

There is no election between now and three-months from now, so no law that would cut off congressional pay can take effect then. The Constitution is very clear on this point. Indeed, Republicans should have discovered this fact when House members read the Constitution aloud on the House floor last Tuesday.

To be sure, it is good news that House Republicans appear to be realizing that they can no longer hold the fate of the entire world economy hostage to their narrow agenda. But they aren’t allowed to violate the Constitution either.

[auburngrad82]

1. Karma's a bitch

The Repugs claim to consider the Constitution a "holy book" but they don't even know what's in it.

[Politicub]

2. Great post. So the GOP knows it's over a barrel. Not raising the debt ceiling is in breach

of one of the constitution's clearest mandates. You can't fuck with the full faith and credit of the united states which is what the traitors are doing.

So could it mean that by failing to raise the debt ceiling, it is up to the executive branch to determine the means necessary to secure our full faith and credit? Thereby leaving it up to the executive to control the budget as it sees fit until the congress acts?

It's new Roosevelt-esque territory for our country, so I don't think anyone really knows.

But I do know that President Obama will not stand for the united stated to become a deadbeat nation. He said it himself.

[indepat]

3. What does the constitutionality of something have to do with anything repigs want or do?