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McCarthy Plans To Cut Debt By Gutting Funds For Veterans


Tiberius

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WHAT, EXACTLY, IS A “DEFAULT?”

Negotiations over the debt limit are still ongoing, and we are starting to hear a lot about the imminent prospect of a “default.” The term gets thrown around a lot in the press, usually attached to words like “unprecedented” and “catastrophic.” But the term creates confusion wherever it lands. Some of this reflects garden-variety misunderstanding. But I worry that some of it reflects a kind of intentional slipperiness by motivated actors who want to frame debt-limit issues a certain way.

There are at least two senses in which the term “default” gets used. The first, and probably the more intuitive usage, refers to a failure to make payments on the public debt securities of the United States, like bonds and Treasury bills. On this point I am not Pollyanna: If that kind of default happens it is likely to be a really bad thing. But as I’ll explain more below, I don’t think that outcome is particularly likely. (Though it’s not impossible.)

 

The second sense in which the word “default” gets used is something like: “Any failure by the United States to make any payment in full and on time.” I confess I find this usage of the term spectacularly unintuitive. But, putting intuitions aside for the moment, this second usage also covers a huge potential breadth of potential outcomes. What payments, exactly? And for how long? There is a big difference between a subset of federal salaries getting paid a day late (perhaps against the backdrop of a deal that has been struck but is still grinding its way through bicameralism and presentment), and large swathes of the federal budget going unfunded for many weeks as Congress and the President continue to flounder.

 

These distinctions are important. But the difference between usage one and usage two—and the important differences of degree within usage two—are sometimes obscured.

 

Well, that confusion is not at all by accident, of course. And honestly, given the political system’s utter inability to reduce spending in a rational way, “large swathes of the federal budget going unfunded” may be the best we can do:

 

Authorized and even appropriated spending isn’t “the public debt.” For constitutional purposes, promised benefits from Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements aren’t even property, as the Supreme Court held in Flemming v. Nestor (1960), and Congress has as much authority to reduce them as to increase them.

 

When lawmakers were drafting the 14th Amendment, they revised Section 4’s language to replace the term “obligations” with “debts.” If the Treasury ran out of money, the constitutional obligation to pay bondholders would trump all statutory obligations to spend. . . .

 

Ms. Yellen also said that “Treasury’s systems have all been built to pay all of our bills when they’re due and on time, and not to prioritize one form of spending over another.” But as the Journal has reported, department officials conceded in 2011 that the government’s fiscal machinery certainly could prioritize payments to bondholders, and the Federal Reserve prepared for such a contingency.

 

There’s no question enough money would be available: The government collects roughly $450 billion a month in tax revenue, more than enough to cover the $55 billion or so in monthly debt service.

 

Reducing spending in a rational way would be better, of course, but that’s not on the table.

 

https://reason.com/volokh/2023/05/25/what-exactly-is-a-default/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


                                    646e133c5d4ce.image.jpg?resize=1396,1055

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PRIORITIES: Democrats to Biden: Get ‘off the bench’ in the debt limit fight.

 

“They need to use the power of the presidency. I don’t buy this argument that [public silence] helps the negotiation,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). “I need the American people to know that Democrats are here fighting, working, prepared to reach an agreement to avoid a default and only the White House, the president, can explain that in this moment.”

 

Biden is set to be even further out of sight this weekend when he leaves Friday for Camp David, and then travels to Delaware. Told Biden was planning to leave Washington for the weekend, one House Democrat expressed disbelief.

 

“Please tell me that’s not true,” said the lawmaker, who was granted anonymity for fear of angering the White House. “You’re going to see a caucus that’s so pissed if he’s stupid enough to do that.”

 

The GOP has already passed a debt limit increase. Biden has another weekend off.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/25/democrats-to-biden-get-off-the-bench-in-the-debt-limit-fight-00098861

 

 

 

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Sad. 
 

Biden Has No Idea Who He Is Calling for at Event, as He Ditches Debt Deadline for Vacation

 

IMG_2765.thumb.jpeg.55e07496af840a434f19f3b42605b3cf.jpeg

 

Joe Biden doesn’t seem to give a darn about debt negotiations or our economic status.

 

First, he refused to even talk with Republicans for 97 days. But since he has been talking, he doesn’t want to cut anything, he just wants to keep spending us into the poor house. He’s completely in the thrall of the leftist wing of his party and they don’t want him to agree with the Republicans.

 

Unfortunately for the Democrats, Americans want cuts and they see Joe Biden as the obstacle here. The Republicans already passed a bill, it’s Biden who isn’t getting it done and Americans see it. 

 

https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2023/05/25/biden-has-no-idea-who-he-is-calling-for-at-event-as-he-ditches-debt-deadline-for-vacation-n751673

 

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Sabotaging the economy for The Party 

 

Conservative lawmakers have begun mounting a campaign against the emerging deal on the debt ceiling between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), as objections from the right threaten to undermine an agreement even before its contents are publicly released.

On Thursday and Friday, in response to reports about the details of the agreement, leading conservative lawmakers and budget experts raised strong objections, arguing McCarthy had failed to extract sufficient concessions from the Biden administration in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. McCarthy pushed back in remarks to reporters on Friday, saying the criticisms were being leveled by people unaware of the substance of the deal.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/26/debt-ceiling-deal/

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WHY MCCARTHY IS WINNING THE DEBT CEILING SHOWDOWN

 

As of this writing Friday morning, the media reports that there is no debt ceiling deal yet, but that the two sides—meaning Biden and Kevin McCarthy—are close.

 

Strange how Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer seems to be totally sidelined. Does the Senate not have any leverage at all? Apparently not.

 

Biden’s regular weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware for his vitamin injections and blood transfusions or long sleeps in his vampire casket or whatever his handlers are doing to prop him up has annoyed many Hill Democrats who think he needs to stick around and finish a deal.

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/05/the-daily-chart-why-mccarthy-is-winning-the-debt-ceiling-showdown.php

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by B-Man
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3 minutes ago, SUNY_amherst said:

mccarthy lets em go on vacation early instead of working through this debt ceiling deal

 

 

Why do you give half true sentence, without a link ?

 

 

Forget the question, I have read your posts. I know why.

 

 

Those working on the negotiations are still there.

 

 

 

 

 

CNN — debt limit deal is still not yet close at hand for House Republicans and the White House as lawmakers leave the nation’s capital and the risk of a first-ever default grows.

 

With no bill to vote on, House lawmakers are leaving for the Memorial Day weekend, though they will be given 24 hours’ notice to return if and when a deal is reached.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/politics/debt-limit-talks-thursday/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

Washington Examiner: --As the deadline to raise the debt ceiling inches closer and negotiations progress in a positive direction, House members head home for Memorial Day, expecting to be called back early next week to vote on the bill.

 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) two negotiators, Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC), met among themselves late into the night on Wednesday, and neither answered questions as they left.

 

They will continue working until they have a deal and while most members go home for recess. Once a deal is in place and the 72-hour clock begins to tick, members will receive a 24-hour notice to come back to Washington, D.C., to vote on the bill. 

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/deadline-to-raise-tdebt-ceiling-inches-closer-members-head-home

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, B-Man said:

 

 

Why do you give half true sentence, without a link ?

 

 

Forget the question, I have read your posts. I know why.

 

 

Those working on the negotiations are still there.

 

 

 

 

 

CNN — debt limit deal is still not yet close at hand for House Republicans and the White House as lawmakers leave the nation’s capital and the risk of a first-ever default grows.

 

With no bill to vote on, House lawmakers are leaving for the Memorial Day weekend, though they will be given 24 hours’ notice to return if and when a deal is reached.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/politics/debt-limit-talks-thursday/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

Washington Examiner: --As the deadline to raise the debt ceiling inches closer and negotiations progress in a positive direction, House members head home for Memorial Day, expecting to be called back early next week to vote on the bill.

 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) two negotiators, Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC), met among themselves late into the night on Wednesday, and neither answered questions as they left.

 

They will continue working until they have a deal and while most members go home for recess. Once a deal is in place and the 72-hour clock begins to tick, members will receive a 24-hour notice to come back to Washington, D.C., to vote on the bill. 

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/deadline-to-raise-tdebt-ceiling-inches-closer-members-head-home

 

 

 

There's absolutely no need for a default.  Most of that talk is fear mongering.  

There are options not yet discussed.

When you can't fund your expenses through cash flow you have several choices.  One is to sell assets to raise funds to pay obligations.  The US government can do this by the Treasury instructing the Federal Reserve  to sell some or all of the Treasury's 800 ton gold reserve held at Ft Knox and the NY Fed.  By my math that's about $51.2 trillion dollars (800 tons 2000 lb/ton, 16 oz/lb at around $2,000/oz).

Problem solved assuming it's all still there as the last real physical audit was in the 1950's.

Other central banks, institutions. Investors, and others would be happy to trade the Treasury bonds they hold for the metal.  And of course take physical custody.

Perhaps pay off a portion of the National debt while they're at it?

Edited by All_Pro_Bills
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WH, House Democrats Threaten to Blow up Debt Deal Over 'Work Requirements' Provision

 

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Biden Administration Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen seemed to give in to conservative Republican members’ demands on a “hard deadline” for when President Joe Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and congressional Democrats like Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), would need to complete a deal on the debt ceiling.

 

Yellen said the target date is now June 5.

 

It was one of three “actions” the House Freedom Caucus warned McCarthy that would need to be a part of any deal in order to garner the House Republicans’ support.

 

https://redstate.com/beccalower/2023/05/26/breaking-wh-house-democrats-threaten-to-blow-up-debt-deal-over-work-requirements-provision-n752284

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13 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

Deal reached? But will it pass congress? 

Do you expect the democrat controlled senate to defy a good American president? Could be that Schumer and crew are upset that Biden negotiated after months of saying he wouldn’t. 

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