It Would Be A 'Constitutional Crisis': Sen. Fetterman Absurdly Claims Debt Negotiations Are The 'Whole Reason' The 14th Amendment Exists

Beleaguered Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman (D-PA) has claimed that the "whole reason" for the post-Civil War Amendment that extended citizenship to former slaves and guaranteed equal protection to all Americans under the law, was instead to allow a spend-happy president a route around Congress. 

Fetterman, who is considered by many to be medically unfit to serve, made headlines for a reason other than his usual verbal difficulties. Rather than one which could be attributed to his unfortunate affliction, this blunder was what could only be explained as a failure to grasp the intent of the U.S. Constitution or a willful defiance of it.
 

BIDEN: 'I THINK WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY' TO IGNORE DEBT CEILING - CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS LOOMING

His comments came as he encouraged President Joe Biden to exercise an illusory authority to invoke the 14th Amendment. He posted to Twitter Thursday, "President Biden needs to consider using the 14th Amendment if necessary."
 

"The entire GOP debt ceiling negotiation is a sad charade, and it’s exactly what’s wrong with Washington. We’re playing with fire and the livelihoods of millions just for the GOP to try and turn the screws on hungry Americans," Fetterman added.

This is the whole reason why the 14th Amendment exists, and we need to be prepared to use it. We cannot let these reckless Republicans hold the economy hostage.

— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 18, 2023

"This is the whole reason why the 14th Amendment exists, and we need to be prepared to use it. We cannot let these reckless Republicans hold the economy hostage," he claimed. "And, if our unelected Supreme Court Justices try to block the use of the 14th amendment and blow up our economy, that’s on them."

Fetterman points to an obscure legal argument, one even President Barack Obama eschewed during his tenure, as previously reported by DC Enquirer. 

RNC Research tweeted an archival video of White House Press Secretary Jay Carney explaining this in 2013.

In 2013, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the Obama-Biden administration "does not believe that the 14th Amendment gives the power to ignore the debt ceiling." pic.twitter.com/A6BUmhQdw6

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 22, 2023

Even Biden's Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen told ABC News' 'This Week' that invoking the amendment in this fashion would result in a "constitutional crisis."

The particular clause of the 14th Amendment reads, "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

The reactions from conservatives online represented a mixture of derision and incredulity. According to Fox News, Ilan Wurman, an associate professor of law at Arizona State University, explained, 

"The plain reading of Section Four is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the debt limit. Existing debts cannot be questioned; but raising the debt ceiling is for the purpose of creating new debts. Nothing in Section Four says Congress must create new debt to service older debt. A failure to raise the debt ceiling in no way questions the validity of existing debts."

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