
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.