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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Business
Megha Bahree

What is 14th Amendment and can it resolve US debt ceiling fight?

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned repeatedly that the Treasury could run out of money to pay its bills as soon as June 1 [File: Leah Millis/Reuters]

While United States President Joe Biden and the Republicans fight about raising the limit on government borrowing to avoid a default on its debt, one idea being kicked around is to invoke the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Clause 4 of the 14th Amendment states that the “validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned”. By invoking this provision, Biden could order the US Treasury to keep issuing bonds and keep paying the government’s bills.

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