Read through the articles below and answer the questions that follow.
http://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/pages/debtlimit.aspx
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303796404579097013297326356.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/us/politics/house-gop-leaders-list-conditions-for-raising-debt-ceiling.html?_r=0
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/09/25/raise-debt-limit-before-october-17-or-risk-default-treasury-warns/
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/warren-buffett-debt-ceiling-fight-would-be-damn-dumb-4B11210658
- What is the Debt Ceiling, and what are the dangers if a solution is not reached.
- How do Republicans want to deal with the Debt Ceiling? How about Democrats?
- Which political party do you believe has the better view of the Debt Ceiling? Explain.
144 comments:
The debt ceiling is the borrowing limit our government sets in order to not run out of cash that is needed to meet its existing financial obligations. If a solution is not reached, many budget cuts will have to be made to avoid falling farther behind on bills that will result in the loss of jobs and other cuts in payments such as pensions.
Republicans want to deal with this problem by raising the debt limit for another year in exchange for an agreement to delay implementation of the White House's health care law, changes to Medicare, an overhaul of the tax code and other conservative priorities. Democrats disagree and do not want to raise the debt ceiling and do not wish to yield to the Republicans wants.
Although I don't believe the debt ceiling should be raised, I do side with the Republicans because it's only prolonging it for another year and in return a delay on the health-care law (which I do not believe should be passed at all because the individual should be in control of their insurance rather than the government and the fees given to those who can not afford insurance would be cheaper to pay for for the first few years than the insurance itself.), a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations, construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, offshore oil and gas production and more permitting of energy exploration on federal lands.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the legal limit to the total amount of money that the United States government is allowed to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. Such obligations include: Social Security, Medicare benefits, salaries for those serving in the armed forces, tax refunds, interest on the national debt etc. If a solution is not met on the Debt Ceiling then it will result in a government shutdown: government agencies will be forced to close their doors until an agreement is met. Such government funded programs such as police forces, post offices, national security, etc. will still be running, but those who work in the public sector (jobs funded by the government) will not be getting paid. If such circumstances were to occur, it could possibly result in job losses for many Americans, even in the private sector, and could potentially dig us deeper into an economic hole. If there is no agreement made, the U.S. government will have to operate on a $30 billion dollar budget which should only last from October 22nd to the 31st.
2.
Republicans: They would agree to raising the debt limit for one year; in turn, they would like to have Obamacare (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) delay its implementation, changes be made to Medicare, an overhaul of the tax code, a broad roll back on environmental regulations and other conservative priorities. When asked if House Republicans would agree on raising the debt limit if Republican provisions were taken off the table, Speaker John Boehner said, “I do not see that happening.” The Republicans are primarily focused on deficit reduction plans and are seeking a stop-gap federal funding initiative.
Democrats: They believe that there should be no provisions made to make an agreement on the debt ceiling and will not negotiate if provisions are being made. President Obama criticized Congress by making the following remarks: “No Congress before this one has ever, ever, in history been irresponsible enough to threaten default, to threaten an economic shutdown, to suggest America not pay its bills, just to try to blackmail a president into giving them some concessions on issues that have nothing to do with a budget.”
3. If I were to “pick a side” on this issue I would agree with the Democrats. Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling for the time being to avoid a government shutdown. The last thing they want is for the government to close its doors because representatives in Washington couldn’t put aside their differences and make a decision that benefits the country as a whole. Republicans think that they have leverage over the Democrats as they think this is the time that they can propose a decrease in deficit spending to fulfill their political agendas. In my opinion the Republicans are putting politics over the people in this case and it is wrong. Many Republicans would be fine with the idea of a government shutdown as it could possibly lead to defunding or delay the implementation of Obamacare. Republicans in Washington have tried many times to dismantle the law even after its constitutionality was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Give it a rest Republicans! Put the people first, not the party. Do what’s best for America and vote to increase the debt ceiling. Certainly provisions should be made after a vote in regards to getting serious about cutting deficit spending, but let’s not take a huge issue like this and spin it around to fulfill political agendas.
Arianna D
1) The Debt Ceiling is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. Some of these obligations include Medicare, military salaries, and tax refunds. The Debt Ceiling, however, does not authorize new spending commitments. If the debt limit fails to increase, the government will be forced to default on its legal obligations. This would have detrimental effects, such as higher interest rates and an inevitable stock market plunge. Thus, the country would have to deal with another catastrophic financial crisis.
2) The Republicans have two key methods to deal with the Debt Ceiling crisis, and the latter one has sparked immense controversy. First off, by prioritizing the Treasury’s payments, mainly by making interest payments to bondholders before others, Republicans hope to make a dent in the debt crisis. However, their main method, which is particularly favored by House Republicans, is to make a deal with the Democrats. This deal states that the Republicans will agree to increase the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for a delay on the White House health care law, Medicare shifts, an overhaul on the tax code, and a blockage of certain EPA regulations. Republicans have stressed that they will only cut a deal with Democrats if their political priorities are fulfilled.
3) On the left, the Democrats want to raise the Debt Ceiling peacefully and without strings attached. It is clear to both the Republicans and Democrats that Debt Ceiling must be raised to avoid catastrophe. However, the Democrats are focusing on this issue exclusively as opposed to adding new issues to the mix. Obama made a statement that emphasized his refusal to make negotiations regarding the Debt Ceiling, which further demonstrated that the Democrats’ only goal is to increase the debt ceiling to the necessary level. In addition, a budget conference was proposed for the purpose of discussing the best way the government should distribute its funds.
4) The Democrats have the better, more reasonable view of the Debt Ceiling issue, for they are looking to deal directly with the nation’s debt without adding any extraneous problems to the mix. The Republicans are holding the nation’s debt obligations hostage to try and force the government to accept their proposals. Because they want to delay programs, like Obamacare, the Republicans are refusing to make a reasonable deal in regards to the national debt. The Democrats are dealing with the Debt Ceiling alone, and they’re not using it as a ploy to push other desired policies.
Ryan L.
1) The debt ceiling is a limit on how much the United States government is permitted to borrow. In the U.S., congress is the body of government that can raise or lower it, but at the moment, things seem to be in disarray. If an agreement is not made, the repercussions following will be disastrous. First of all, the government will default on its loans in a very short span of time. As things stand, the government will only have about $30 billion after October 17th, and that is far from enough. If the debt ceiling is not raised, the U.S. will be forced to default on its loans which could send the recovering economy into a frightening spiral downward.
2) The Republicans are, once again, playing politics with an issue that threatens to derail all the growth and development we have seen in the past few years. Their basic premise is to use this urgent threat, the debt ceiling, as a tool of bargaining to try to defund the Affordable Care Act. This is outright reprehensible due to the fact that there is almost no way that such a budget would ever get passed by the Senate, and the President has said that if such a proposal ended up on his desk he would veto it. Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling, and it needs to do it now. The Democrat's position is just that. They want to raise the debt ceiling with no strings attached.
3) Obviously, I concur with the Democrats. Their view is reasonable and non-destructive. Raising the debt ceiling is simply something that must be done.
A) The debt ceiling is the total amount of debt and money owed the government can have before they are forced to shut down certain operations of the government in order to pay back the money owed.
B) The republicans would like to raise the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for the delaying of several democrat programs, such as Obama Care, changes to medicare, and other such conservative goals. The democrats don't believe that anything should be required of the debt ceiling being raised, and will not negotiate with the republicans.
C) Personally, I believe that both of them are wrong. Instead of raising the debt ceiling, they should attempt to cut some nonessential government programs and reorganize others so that they can lower the amount of debt we are in in total, even if that ultimately results in a tax increase. And, to be honest, the upper class in our society could easily handle more taxes, not tax breaks, which would help pay off the debt as well. If one side must be chosen, however, I would have to agree with the democrats, because we should as a country be working together to fight this economic crises, unlike the republicans, which are using the national economic crises to further their own ends.
The debt ceiling is the limit on the amount of money the government can spend. If no solution is reached it could potentially be a danger because then government workers and other government programs would come to a halt. The government wouldn't be able to spend money until the ceiling is raised. The republicans are taking advantages of the situation and would like to try and use this as a negotiation chip to hold off on changes with things like medicare. The democrats don't want to waist any time thinking about raising it because they are afraid it will hurt the economy. I happen to agree with the republicans. If a decision is not made by the date and the government has to hold back on some spending the world is not going to end. It is more important to make sure we aren't going to put ourselves in extreme debt then to raise the ceiling immediately.
The Debt Ceiling is the total amount of money that the government is allowed to borrow. Should the nation's debt pile up all the way to the ceiling, the United States risks default on its monetary obligations. Government default would cause investors to lose confidence in the US government, dramatically raising interest rates and lowering the nation's credit rating.
Republicans are dealing with the looming threat of the ceiling by using it as a bargaining chip to get a lot of their own legislation through Congress's gridlock, including plans to delay parts of nationalized healthcare and tax code overhaul. Some maintain that the government's money can be stretched out long enough for the added delay in increasing the debt ceiling to be a non-issue.
Democrats, on the other hand, want to increase the ceiling without any conditions in the interest of maintaining the United States' credit and keeping the economy from sliding back down into deep recession while also maintaining their political goals. They want the ceiling raised as soon as possible, as they don't think that the government's cash reserves will last long once no more money can be borrowed.
I believe that the Republicans have a much better view of the debt ceiling. While I may not agree with all of the legislation they're trying to pass through with it, it's a fairly clever method of Congressional bargaining -- there's no way that they can lose. If the Democrats end up conceding to the Republicans' demands, then they've managed to get a serious pack of changes done to the law in a very small amount of time. If the Democrats don't concede, then they end up looking like the political party that defaulted the US, which is certainly good for Republican PR. It's very unlikely that the latter case will occur, which means that the Republicans are essentially getting free legislation by playing chicken with the economy.
1. The debt ceiling is the limit set by congress as to how much debt the US government can accumulate that it has not paid back. Once the US reaches the limit set on the debt ceiling, it can either extend it or default on our bills. If a solution is not reached then the US could face a financial crisis. The government would only be able to pay for its day to day expenses for a short time after the date has been reached. The government would virtually shut down with not enough money to operate its normal programs causing the entire country to go into panic mode and it would cause an unprecedented economic disaster.
2. Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by forcing Democrats to agree on cutting spending and then raising the debt ceiling. In order to stop ourselves fom continually reaching the debt ceiling we need to stop deficit spending and that is what the Republicans are trying to do. They refuse to raise the debt ceiling if we are going to continue deficit spending and only end up in the same place next year. However, they are also trying to cut some of Obama’s programs that they just don’t agree with and they’re threatening with the notion of not raising the debt ceiling. The Democrats just want to raise the debt ceiling again. They are furious that the Republicans are trying to use this as a means of getting legislation passed. All they are concerned about is the potential of a financial meltdown if the debt ceiling isn't raised. The Democrats see themselves as the “responsible parent in the room” because they’re being forced to give into the Republicans for the greater good of the country.
3. In our current situation, I believe the Democrats have the better view of the debt ceiling. The government’s concerns should address the immediate danger of financial ruin. The Republicans are just making it more difficult to raise the debt ceiling and they’re sending the nation into a panic mode. However, once the debt ceiling is passed, I would agree with the Republicans. Right now the Republicans should not be forcing its issues by threatening economic suicide. It is clear though that the government needs to put a stop to its deficit spending and their only two ways to do that, cut programs and raise taxes. The Democrats are seeking a quick fix to a problem that is plaguing our country, while the Republicans are trying to permanently fix it, they just need to realize that now is not the right time.
-TomH
Tom Quinn
1. The debt ceiling is essentially the largest possible amount of money the government can borrow in order to pay off existing debts. These debts include anything ranging from Social Security and Medicare to military salaries. The problem is that the government is borrowing a lot more money than they have the ability to pay off.If the issue is not fixed, it will result in the government not being able to pay off their loans, and that in turn will result in the government not being able to borrow as much money in the future. What they are able to borrow, they will have to pay off at higher rates. It could also impact the governments ability to provide state aid, which takes away from money from things like school districts and police departments. Essentially, the debt ceiling issue not being fixed will start at the federal government level, in which they will not be able to borrow enough money to fund things like Social Security and Medicare. Then it will trickle down to the state level because the federal government will not be able to provide any state aid, causing a significant decrease to school funding, and a significant decrease in the amount of police on the street. These are just a few of the issues that the debt ceiling would cause, if the issue is not fixed there will be other major economic consequences.
2. Generally, the Democratic Party wants to "break" the debt ceiling, they want to increase the amount of money that the government can borrow. The Republicans, on the other hand, lack the amount of support that the Democrats have to raise the debt ceiling. Currently, the Republicans are only willing to agree to raise the debt ceiling if the Democrats accept agreeing to address issues such as a delay in the healthcare law, tax overhaul, and changes to environmental regulations. These are just a few examples of ways the Republicans would agree to raise the debt ceiling, but it shows how the Democrats want to raise it right away while the Republicans are only willing to raise the debt ceiling if other important issues are addressed.
3. By raising the debt ceiling immediately, it will essentially lighten the blow of the current recession we are experiencing. This allows more time for the economy to potentially fix itself, while also allowing the government more time to work to create reforms which will reduce the debt ceiling in time. Therefore I am taking a more of a Democratic viewpoint because I believe that not increasing the debt ceiling will lead to more damage to the economy than increasing it immediately would. Basically, I feel that raising the debt ceiling would allow more time for the government to fix our economic issues, while keeping the debt ceiling the way it is now would only delay a potential economic disaster.
A debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the government is allowed to borrow to fulfill its legal obligations. Failure to raise the ceiling would result in a financial crisis as the government would not be able to pay its bills by October 17th and put the country at risk of default. It would damage businesses and consumer confidence. It is also predicted that it would cause an increase in interest raise and a drop in the stock market. The government hit the debt ceiling in May and Republicans think that they should prioritize payments and that they should be able to stretch the money longer than the Treasury is saying they can. They said they would plan to raise the debt ceiling for one year only under certain conditions such as a delay of the healthcare law and a tax code overhaul. However, Democrats say that prioritizing payments will only result in default. Democrats want to pass a stopgap spending bill to finance the government until November 15th without furnishing the requests of Republicans. I think Democrats have a better view of the debt ceiling because they are trying to avoid the financial crisis that Republicans may cause with their idea of a solution. Also, when Obama negotiated the debt ceiling in 2011, it caused a $900 billion spending cut so I think it would be a good idea to avoid a problem like this, this year.
Greg C.
The debt ceiling, also known as the debt limit, is the amount of money the U.S. Government is allowed to borrow in order to meet their existing legal obligations. If the government is unable to raise the debt limit then the government would default on their obligations. This is called a “technical default” because many payments would not be met. This means that government employees would have a hard time being paid, Medicare/Medicaid may cease to exist, and social security payments may stop going to those that need them. Due to the raising of the debt limit last year, America has lost their perfect rating on loans. Congress has acted 78 times to alter the debt limit, 49 times under a Republican president and 29 times under a Democrat president.
Republicans have proposed “to ‘prioritize’ the Treasury’s payments.” Republicans believe that the Treasury is able to make the remaining money last longer than what is currently believed. Republicans have a plan to raise the debt ceiling if it is agreed that the White House’s health-care law is delayed, as well as changes made to Medicare and the tax code. Democrats, however, seem to be not acting at all. They seem “paralyzed by rage,” and have said that they have to be “’the responsible adult in the room.’” However, this is pathetic, the fact that they claim they now have to be the only responsible adults in the room just implies that everyone in congress is or has been acting like a child. And even the Democratic president Obama has stated that he is not willing to budge at all for a compromise. Even Warren Buffet says it is “pretty damn dumb” that they may not be able to compromise.
The Democrats seem to be doing absolutely nothing in this debt ceiling debate and seem too have no idea what they are doing. But, as bad as they are, I agree with the Democrats more than the Republicans because it seems that the Republicans are using the debt ceiling crisis more to push their political agenda than to actually find a long lasting compromise. They want to build an oil pipeline, rewrite the taxes, and explore more federal lands to find oil and gas. It just seems they are more willing to fight and be stubborn only to support their side’s agenda on political issues than to actually fix the problem at hand.
1. The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the government can borrow to fund existing legal obligations, such as Social Security and Medicare. The dangers of the debt ceiling is that, if it continues to be raised, the government debt accumulates and climbs higher. But if the debt ceiling is not raised, government-funded economic programs that affect the public will be discontinued, jobs and savings of Americans are threatened, and it may directly lead to an economic crisis in the US.
2. Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by raising it for one year in exchange for delaying the health-care law, changes to Medicare, and overhaul of the tax code. This makes them at odds with the Democrats, who strictly believe that no condition should be attached to raising the debt ceiling.
3. Although I do not fully agree with either side, I believe the Republican party has a better view of the debt ceiling because it is the only compromise between not raising the debt ceiling and raising it. Although it can be seen as government not caring for its people, I believe it to be a more prudent move than continually letting the debt ceiling be raised uncheck. To continue to do so would seem almost to lure an unsuspecting public into a false sense of security: if the debt ceiling continues to be raised without any conditions, the temporary comfort and “security” of the people may lead to a quicker inevitable default in the future. If this occurs, I would think that the people’s trust in government would plummet even further, in contrast to if certain measures were taken that would cause some resentment, but at least prevent wide-scale panic. In addition, cutting back and delaying some expenses may give the government time to prioritize and reorganize their efforts. Although it seems like the scenario of harsh “reality knocking on the back door,” I think it serves as more like a warning than anything else to the public. Is the comfort of the present worth the risk of the future?
Cristiana D.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the total amount of money that the US government can borrow to make sure that it adheres to its obligations such as Social Security, Medicare, military salaries, paying interest on its national debt, tax refunds, etc. The government can only finance existing obligations, it cannot decide on new spending commitments. The dangers if a solution is not reached as to whether or not to raise the Debt Ceiling are that the government would default on its obligations, meaning that they would be unable to pay. A default would eventually cause a financial crisis, possibly like that of 2008. Americans would be in jeopardy of losing their jobs and life savings if this were to occur.
2. Republicans wish to make priorities out of the US government’s obligations. They think that there are certain obligations that are more important and beneficial for our nation so priorities are necessary. They also say that the Treasury should find a way to make the current money stretch, however other Republicans think that a delay would cause even more financial issues. Some Republicans in the House of Representatives say that if they raise the debt ceiling for one year, they can come to an agreement with the White House to delay Obamacare, changes to Medicare, etc. Basically, Republicans are trying to negotiate in order to raise the debt ceiling however get Obamacare delayed as to their wishes.
Democrats on the other hand, have said that the debt ceiling should not be raised. They will not agree on any conditions to raise it. They also refuse to negotiate with Republicans which is causing worry as to whether or not the deadline will be respected. Obama refuses any legislation that will delay his plan of Obamacare. He also refuses to negotiate over the debt ceiling because when he did so in 2011, dramatic cuts were made, for which he is still be criticized of to this day. Republicans want to accept a debt limit raise only if Democrats agree to delay Obamacare, a tax overhaul, and a rollback of environmental regulations. These are very important components of Democrats viewpoint’s so an agreement is not expected to occur soon enough.
3. I can't really decide who to agree with because it seems that Republicans are just trying to benefit themselves seeing as though their ultimatum is that they will agree to increase the debt ceiling only if Democrats push back their ideas. On the other hand, Obama said that he is unwilling to negotiate. I think that the viewpoints of each political party are making it impossible for any changes or agreements to occur because they are not willing to sacrifice for one another. I do agree with the Democrats in not wanting to increase the debt ceiling because if at every time we are faced with this problem, we choose to increase the debt ceiling, then that is just a temporary solution. I feel that there should be a sit down meeting to analyze all government spending. We can't just keep on increasing the ceiling without changing other things. That would mean that in the future, we would have such an immense debt that we wouldn't even be able to survive as a nation. If Obama is unwilling to negotiate because of 2011 and the $900 million in spending cuts, I don't see how anything can happen, period.
Erica L.
1. The debt ceiling is the legislative restriction on the amount of money that the Treasury can issue. The United States Government borrows money to fulfill legal obligations, such as Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, and military salaries, to name a few. However, the debt ceiling does not authorize new spending commitments. If a solution is not reached, it would lead the government to default and shutdown on it’s legal obligations, threaten the jobs and savings of American citizens, damage businesses and consumer confidence, increase interest rates, lead to a stock market plunge and volatile financial market, and cause a regression in progress recently made in the United States to get out of the recession. Domestic and International markets would face financial issues, bondholders would demand higher rate for holding United States debt, and borrowing costs for governments, businesses and homebuyers would increase. Economists warn that since this is an unprecedented event, all possible consequences are unknown. In addition, government employees, military and contractors will not receive paychecks.
2. Republicans would like to alleviate the effects of default by prioritizing payments, and argue to increase the debt limit only if Democrats agree to include a one-year delay of the health care law (Obama Care), a tax overhaul and a rollback of environmental issues. Completely opposed to Obama Care, they believe that it hurts the American Economy by cutting jobs, driving up costs and increasing national debt under Obama administration. Democrats accuse GOP of trying to “extort” him in debt limit negotiations. Obama and the Democratic dominated Senate strongly defend Obama Care, because they believe that all Americans, regardless of their socio-economic level deserve affordable, quality health insurance. Democrats believe that lifting debt ceiling with a “clean bill” will help Americans pay bill and avoid a financial crisis. As opposed to the Radical Republicans, Democrats are willing to compromise in order to approve the state of the economy, grow jobs, strengthen middle class, and fulfill their responsibilities as a secure government.
3.I believe that the Democrats have a better view of the debt ceiling. It is mind-blowing that some Republicans are willing to threaten default, an economic shutdown, and suggest that America does not pay it’s bills in order to blackmail Obama into making decisions that are separate from the Budget. This bi-partisan government needs to put aside personal interests and bias toward the Democratic party and keep in mind what is right for all of the citizens in order to avoid devastating financial and economic consequences. The Republicans threaten government shut down to put insurance companies in charge of Americans health care and are holding the faith of credit in the governemtn to serve their own radical agenda. Refusing to raise the debt limit will lead to the increased payment of interest rates, mortgages, student loans, and small businesses. In addition, pensions and retirement plans would be in jeopardy, therefore, slowing economic growth.
Julianna H.
1) The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the U.S. government is allowed to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. If a solution is not reached, the government will not be able to meet its legal obligations and it would result in another financial crisis.
2) Republicans want to cushion the effects of default by deciding which programs to fund and which to cut. Democrats do not want to bargain over the debt-ceiling
3) I believe the Republican party has the better view of the Debt Ceiling. We need to cut programs before we increase the debt limit in order to begin to solve the spending problem in our government.
Kaitlyn Irwin
1) The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money the US government is permitted to borrow under its existing legal obligations, including social security and medicare benefits, military salaries, and other payments. If a solution is not reached, the dangers are that if government doesn't increase the debt limit,the US could be put back into a deep, economic hole, and the jobs and savings of Americans would be at risk.
2) Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by making a deal to raise it for one year in exchange for negotiations with Democrats to delay the health-care law, changes to Medicare, overhaul the tax code, and other conservative ideas. Democrats, on the other hand don't want to negotiate with Republicans at all on raising the debt ceiling but want to raise it.
3) I think the Republicans have a better view of the Debt Ceiling because the negotiations they want to make would lower our nation's debt, and we might only need to temporarily raise the debt ceiling for 1 year if we did this. The Democrats want to raise the Debt Ceiling while not making any negotiations, so this might lead to a permanent raise and might put our country in more debt.
Jesse M
1) The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that is set to limit the money that the government can borrow. It is around 16.7 trillion in America. If no solution comes about and the nation reaches the debt ceiling, the government would run out of money to operate with. Since it hasn't occurred yet, there is no way of telling exactly what can happen. The government would have to choose what they pay for though.
2) The republicans are threatening to send the government into default unless they are negotiated with. They want to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, delay implementation of Obamacare for one year, cut $120 billion from federal health programs over the next decade, increase offshore oil drilling and energy production on federal lands, block federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and restrict most forms of federal industry regulation.
The democrats want to not reduce social welfare programs many Democrats support and not raise taxes. It protects Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and provides a long-term extension of the debt ceiling.
3) I agree with the Democrats plan because they are increasing the debt ceiling and not raising taxes. Also, they are keeping Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security active, which many people rely on. It is crucial to maintain these programs because with out them many people wouldn't be able to live due to a lack of money.
Kathleen H.
1) The debt ceiling is a set limit on the amount of money the United States can borrow to meet the legal obligations it has financed in the past. If a solution is not reached, the United States will, for the first time in history, be unable to meet its financial commitments, which would shake faith in the Treasury’s ability to meet its debts. This could lead to a major financial crisis, including a severe drop in stock and the loss of millions of jobs.
2) Republicans are split over the issue. Some feel that the Treasury can manage with its current supply of funds for longer than supposed, while others are worried about causing a financial panic. The majority of Republicans in the House are willing to raise the debt ceiling, but they are essentially using the idea as a bargaining chip. In return for raising the debt ceiling, they want the government to delay the continuation of the much hated healthcare law and see to several other common conservative priorities, such as a rollback of environmental regulations. In the words of Charles Schumer, “the House is attaching the Republican party platform to the debt ceiling.” In addition, after laying down their exhaustive list of conditions, they are blaming Democrats for holding up the process and putting the government in danger.
Democrats, meanwhile, refuse to negotiate with Republicans over the debt ceiling, for they feel it should not come with conditions. President Obama is at the head of the movement to resist the Republicans, for his decision to negotiate in a similar way in 2011 cut spending by $900 billion and has since been condemned by the Democratic Party.
3) Both parties are using this issue as an arena in which to fight their usual battles, so I can’t say I’m delighted with either of them, but I do think the Republicans are making themselves look ridiculous. They may be blaming the Democrats for slowing up the process, but they themselves are not only refusing to compromise, but are blackmailing the other party into an agreement that virtually goes against its platform. I agree with President Obama in that this issue should not be dragged into the debate over healthcare - that is an argument for another time, when the stakes are much lower.
Rob B
The debt ceiling in the maximum amount of debt the United States Treasury can pay, and is typically tailored to a recently passed budget. However, if no agreement is reached in Congress to raise the ceiling before the deadline, (which is currently October 17 but will undoubtedly be pushed back numerous times) the federal government would shut down. If this happens, no federal employees (including workers at national parks and museums, as well as military personnel) would get paid until the issue is resolved. Republicans (mostly Tea Party Republicans), though not in favor of raising the debt ceiling, would be willing to raise it if Democrats (who are in favor of raising the debt ceiling) agree to postpone voting on the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) for one year, reform taxes and allow the Keystone Oil Pipeline to be built. In my opinion, both sides are being incredibly juvenile and apparently don't care about this important issue enough to do anything other than threaten each other and push back the deadline. We would be better off letting 535 middle schoolers reach an agreement.
Lindsay S.
1) The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the government can borrow. The current debt ceiling is $16.7 trillion.
2)Republicans will vote to raise the debt ceiling if Democrats will also submit to accepting a "list of Republican priorities". Democrats however, do not want to accept this list that doesn't have anything to do with the debt ceiling itself.
3) I feel that Republicans have a better solution because they plan on using the money to stop the government b getting money through "emergency measures" such as delayed pension payments.
Caroline G
The debt ceiling is the limit on the amount of money that the United States government can borrow to use on services such as, Social Security, Medicare, military salaries, tax refunds etc. If a solution were not reached, the government would default on its obligations. They would run out of money and then it is likely that a financial crisis will occur. Interest rates would be likely to skyrocket and stock prices would decrease exponentially. This comes at a terrible time as the US is just emerging out of the recession.
The Republicans are trying to negotiate a plan at this time by allowing the debt ceiling to be raised for one more year if the new heath-care law is delayed. House Republicans are saying that they should not run their government decisions based off of economists’ predictions.
The Democrats have said that the Republicans should not be negotiating during this time. Democrats believe that they are being the “adults in the room” and that they are “damaging the country, and the public ought to make them pay a price.”
Usually I do not agree with the Democratic standpoints, but here I do. I think that the Republicans should not be negotiating a plan while they are in a tough situation and have to make a decision quickly. The main focus should be on the debt ceiling and what to do which would be best for all Americans. Trying to incorporate other items into discussion just complicates things and puts a distraction on what really needs to be figured out quickly: the debt ceiling.
Josie D.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to fulfill its existing legal obligations, such as Social Security, Medicare benefits, tax refunds, etc. It does not allow new spending commitments, only legal obligations that have been made in the past. If a solution is not reached, it would cause the government failure to meet its legal obligations, which in turn would threaten the jobs of Americans and worsen the state of the economy. It could damage businesses and consumer confidence. Although such an occurrence has never happened in modern history before, analysts hypothesize that it could cause a stock-market plunge.
2. Republicans are using the Debt Ceiling as a way to negotiate with Democrats for what they want. They want to negotiate a plan to raise the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for an agreement to delay implementation of the White House’s health-care law, changes to Medicare, and other of their priorities. Republicans also want to prioritize payments, in an effort to lessen the impact of default. Democrats, in response, say there shouldn’t be any conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling and are refusing to negotiate with Republicans on the matter.
3. In my opinion, I believe the Democratic Party has the better view of the Debt Ceiling. The Republicans are using the Debt Ceiling as a means to get what they want regarding issues that are not related to it. A major priority of theirs is to delay the health-care law, which doesn’t make sense because health-care costs are not a result of Obamacare, as the spending trends have been in place for decades. The Debt Ceiling is a serious issue that if not solved, could have catastrophic consequences. It is not something to be taken lightly, and the Republicans are forcing the Democrats to either appease them, or let the government default.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the total amount of money that the United States Government is allowed to borrow in order to meet its existing legal obligations. The money is used for obligations made in the past by the presidents of both democratic and republican parties as well as congress. The debt is used to pay for Social Security, Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. If a solution is not reached, there may be many dangers. For example, it would cause the government to default on their legal obligations, another financial crisis, jobs and saving could be lost, and the US economy will go down a great sum.
2. Republicans want to deal with the Debt Ceiling by making the debt limit larger, so that they have more time to come up with a solution or money. Republicans said they would agree to increase the debt limit to avert a mid-October default only if Democrats accepted a list of Republican priorities, including a one-year delay of the health care law, a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations. Democrats say there shouldn't be any conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling and have vowed not to negotiate with Republicans on the matter. This has led some lawmakers, analysts and others to wonder whether an agreement can be reached in time.
3. I agree with the republicans and their view on the debt ceiling. I say this because it gives the government more time to solve the issues and come up with a better solution. There would be worse consequences if we came to the date and didn’t pay the debt, then if we hold off for another year.
John F
1. The U.S. Debt ceiling is the upper limit set on the amount of money that the government may borrow. There are many different dangers that come along with reaching the debt ceiling, such as unpaid leave for federal workers, military veterans and people who receive benefits from social security could expect delays in payments. Also, U.S. economic information would be delayed and tens of thousands of American's passports could go unprocessed, as well as their visa applications.
2. Republicans have recently admitted that their fight for the debt ceiling has nothing to do with the debt. They have requested many different things in order to agree with the idea of raising the ceiling. These requests include a one year delay on Obamacare, approving the Keystone pipeline, blocking net neutrality regulations. The democrats believe that the first steps towards averting a crisis would be to hold a conference with the republicans about budgets rather than having the republicans take the economy hostage.
3. I feel that the democrats have a better view on what to do about this crisis because it is more important to actually do something about it rather than demanding different things just to show up to a conference. The democrats want to get right to the point and solve this problem, as opposed to the demanding approach of the republicans.
Steven K.
1. The debt ceiling(or debt limit) is the total amount of money the government is authorized to borrow, usually regulated by the Treasury. The problems that can come from the disregard to follow these authorizations can lead to many things: a defaulted government, threaten almost every job, and can potentially damage savings or investments.
2. The Republican Party wants to delay the Affordable Care Act in order to temporarily solve the debt crisis, clearing up all that extra funds for other uses instead of healthcare; while the Democratic Party wants to keep the Act and find some other policy or Act to cut to save from defaulting.
3. I believe the Republican Party has the better view of the debt ceiling. Firstly, the funds needed to upkeep the Affordable Care Act is extremely high, and the fact that it will increase the tax-rate of most of the middle class makes it almost counter productive, at least in my mind. There is also no need for the Affordable Care Act, especially in this penny-pinching time that the United States is going through. In a time where a lavish amount of money is not readily available, “Obamacare” is not needed and just not feasible.
1. Debt ceiling is the amount of money the government can spend past the amount of money it takes in. In essence the government can spend money it doesn't have to a point. Unfortunately when a debt ceiling is reached it needs to be raised in order to avoid budget issues. When a debt ceiling is reached and an expansion is NOT agreed upon this can be catastrophic for a government. If the debt ceiling isn't raised the government is unable to operate and in turn must shut down. This not only hurts the nation but badly damages the nation's standing credit with the world.
2. Both the Democrats and Republicans have very different views on the debt ceiling and refuse to negotiate with each other over this issue. On one side the Republicans want major limits and cuts to parts of Medicare while taking a look at the tax codes. This completely conflicts with the Democrats who are in favor of raising the debt ceiling without making cuts to healthcare or making changes to the tax codes. This has both parties in a standoff with no one wanting to budge. This approach has pointed the situation toward an eventual government shutdown.
3. In this case a middle ground seems to be the best, however hardest, course of action. While there should be some cutbacks in certain aspects of the government the total demolishing of programs is too extreme and not in the best interest of everyone. There is no question there needs to be changes to curb our runaway debt, but unfortunately with a standoff in the government there is little to no chance that a middle ground can be found by the deadline. In turn the best course of action is a temporary budget/ debt ceiling that will allow for further negotiating and for more time to settle this issue that has both parties in such a stubborn stance.
Marc F.
1- The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money set by congress that the government can borrow. The debt ceiling at the moment is $16.7 trillion and the government is expected to run out of emergency fund in mid-october. If a solution is not reached then the government will be risk of defaulting on their debts meaning that they won’t be able to repay they’re debts because they can’t borrow any more money.
2- To deal with the debt ceiling, Republicans want to negotiate with Democrats and the White House. They want changes to health care and taxes in a more conservative manor. Democrats and the White House have said that they are absolutely not negotiating on this matter. However, they are in agreement that they need to agree on a solution before the government has to default.
3- I believe that the Democrats have the right idea in this situation. I think it is ridiculous that to try to negotiate on a matter as important as the debt ceiling. By negotiating, more serious problems may arise. However, I respect the Republicans attempt at doing anything they can to make a solution in time.
Emma B.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the government of the United States is allowed to borrow so that it is able to pay all of its bills. Once the Debt Ceiling is reached, the government no longer has enough money to finance all of its legal commitments. If a solution is not reached, several dangers are imminent. Firstly, the country would most likely default, which would have detrimental financial and economic consequences. For instance, the national and international markets would suffer terribly. Another result of a solution not being made is that bondholders would request higher interest rates for holding debt, which, in turn, would raise the borrowing costs for not just the government, but for businesses and individuals looking to buy homes as well. Not all of the dangers are known because the United States has never not been able to pay back its own debts before.
2. The Republicans and Democrats want to handle the Debt Ceiling very differently. The Republicans will only agree to increase the debt limit to avoid default if the Democrats agree to make some changes. The Republicans want a one-year delay of Obama’s health care law, a tax over-haul, and a reduction of environmental regulations. The Republicans want less regulations on coal ash and on greenhouse gas production. They also would like the construction of a new oil pipeline and the production of oil and gas offshore. The Democrats feel that the Republicans demands for changes in exchange for a raise of the debt limit is blackmail. Obama said that this is the first time Congress has ever been this “irresponsible” to threaten an “economic shutdown” just to make some changes that actually do not involve the budget. He refuses to negotiate on the Debt Ceiling like he had two years ago, in 2011. However, if a solution is not achieved soon, the government runs the risk of shutting down by October.
3. I believe that the Democratic party has the better view of the Debt Ceiling dilemma. I think that is is wrong of the Republicans to use the Debt Ceiling crisis as a way to force the Democrats into giving them the changes that they want. It is ridiculous of them to risk the future of the economy to get things such as a new oil pipeline and a delay on Obamacare. It makes sense that the Democrats do not want to negotiate this time around because the negotiations made in 2011 are estimated to cost the United States more than nineteen billion dollars over the next ten years. Unfortunately, because time is running out and due to the severity of the Republican’s demands, a negotiation between the two political parties seems likely to happen.
Allison K
The Debt Ceiling is a number set by Congress that limits how much debt the United States government can be in. It allows for the government to borrow the necessary means to cover things like social security and military salaries. This number has been hit, which is causing a large number of problems in Congress. If a decision is not reached by October 17, the government will default and not be able to pay bills. This is a problem because it will have extreme effects on the world's economy, including the crashing of markets.
Democrats believe that the best way to handle the situation is to raise the Debt Ceiling; however, republicans disagree. They are looking at this as a way for them to get what they want done. In order for them to allow for the Debt Ceiling to be raised, they are creating a list of priorities that must be acknowledged. These include prolonging the health-care law and cutting back on environmental regulations. The democrats do not believe that conditions should be attached to the issue of the Debt Ceiling and neither side are willing to back down. Republicans are expecting the Democratic leaders to give in and yield to the requests, but democrats do not feel as though this is the case.
I believe the Democrats are right in their viewing of the Debt Ceiling. This is an incredibly important issue and a decision must be reached by October 17. If it isn't, there will be catastrophic consequences. This issue should not paired with other problems that Congress disagrees over. It is unfair for the Republicans to dangle their views over the Democrats in a way that will most likely end in the Democrats having no choice but to yield to the Republicans.
Matt A.
1. The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money the federal government is allowed to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, social security, medicare benefits. military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds and other payments. A government shutdown may occur which would halt paychecks to government employees, military, contractors and many others. Disastrous economic consequences may occur like the government defaulting on legal obligations. This could lead to more problems like businesses shutting down, Americans losing their jobs, and threatening the savings of Americans, which could put the United States into a deep economic hole.
2. Republicans and Democrats differ in the ways that they want to handle the debt ceiling. Republicans plan to try to advance a measure to raise the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for an agreement to delay the carrying out of the White House's health care law, changes to medicare, an overhaul of the tax code and other conservative priorities. While the Democrats said that there should not be any conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling. They have vowed not to negotiate with the Republicans on the issue.
3. I think that the Democrats have a better view of the Debt ceiling because I do not think that the Republicans view of handling it is right. I disagree with the one year delay of Obamacare and to make changes to medicare. I think the Republicans are being reckless and irresponsible, pushing to delay Obamacare will move the government closer to shutting down which will harm many American businesses and their people.
1. The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money the federal government is allowed to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, social security, medicare benefits. military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds and other payments. A government shutdown may occur which would halt paychecks to government employees, military, contractors and many others. Disastrous economic consequences may occur like the government defaulting on legal obligations. This could lead to more problems like businesses shutting down, Americans losing their jobs, and threatening the savings of Americans, which could put the United States into a deep economic hole.
2. Republicans and Democrats differ in the ways that they want to handle the debt ceiling. Republicans plan to try to advance a measure to raise the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for an agreement to delay the carrying out of the White House's health care law, changes to medicare, an overhaul of the tax code and other conservative priorities. While the Democrats said that there should not be any conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling. They have vowed not to negotiate with the Republicans on the issue.
3. I think that the Democrats have a better view of the Debt ceiling because I do not think that the Republicans view of handling it is right. I disagree with the one year delay of Obamacare and to make changes to medicare. I think the Republicans are being reckless and irresponsible, pushing to delay Obamacare will move the government closer to shutting down which will harm many American businesses and their people.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the limit set on the amount of money that the US Government is allowed to borrow in order to meet existing legal obligations, such as Social Security, military salaries, taxes, and Medicare benefits. If a solution is not reached, the government would be forced to default on legal obligations. This would threaten jobs and savings of Americans, and put society back into a deep recession that we have been trying to get out of. The country would fall behind on it's bills and financial markets and businesses and consumer confidence would be damaged. Also analysts have foreseen that there could be a large spike in interest rates and a stock market plunge.
2. Republicans want to deal with the Debt Ceiling by prioritizing Treasury payments (such as interest payments to bondholders) and also have the Treasury extend the amount of money longer than it is telling Congress. Republicans want to raise the Debt Ceiling for one year in exchange for an agreement to delay the White House's changes to Medicare, tax codes, environmental regulations, and health care laws. The Republicans simply want to increase the debt limit. Democrats on the other hand do not want to negotiate with Republicans and say there should be no conditioning on raising the Debt Ceiling. President Obama fired back at Republicans, stating that they should not threaten to change or shut down any economic functions or insitutions. If Democrats can get 60 votes they will pass a stopgag spending bill that will finance the government through the 15th of November without Republicans hindering that.
3. While I believe that the Republican party made some very strong arguments and have good points in how they want to deal with the Debt Ceiling, such as wanting to extend the amount of money longer than it is telling Congress, I agree more with the point of view of the Democrats. While there are shortcomings in both sides, even the Democrats, I think that the Republicans are wrong in their negotiating and threatening economic institions. For example, they want to negotiate on things such as health care, Medicare, taxes, and environmental regulations. These are things that are imperative to the functioning of our society and should not in any way be negotiated upon or threatened. Republicans should be focusing more on the Debt Ceiling, without having the need to threaten other economic insitutions.
The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the United States government is allowed to borrow to finance itself and to pay its bills. If a solution on raising the debt ceiling is not reached then the government would default on its financial obligations. The government would not be able to borrow anymore money to pay for things such as Social Security, Medicaid, and military salaries. In addition to this, not reaching a deal on the debt ceiling would send the economy into yet another recession, just as we are coming out of one.
Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by using it as a bargaining chip, tying the raising of the debt ceiling to other demands they have, the delaying of Obamacare chief among then. They hope to use the debt ceiling debate in order to achieve their other priorities that they could never hope to get past the Democratic Senate otherwise, including an overhaul of the tax code and more energy exploration on federal lands.
Democrats, on the other hand, are refusing to give into Republican demands on raising the debt ceiling. President Obama and other Democratic leaders refuse to negotiate over raising the debt ceiling. For President Obama, this is because when he did so in 2011, the deal that was passed led to the sequester cuts in March that cut $900 billion in spending that has largely been condemned.
I believe that the Democrats have a better view on the debt ceiling simply because they aren't using it in order to achieve anything. Unlike Republicans, Democrats are not holding the credit of the country hostage by refusing to pass a bill raising the debt ceiling unless it meets certain criteria. Republicans are using this debate to try to put a halt to Obamacare, something that has been upheld time and time again, and to further other items on their agenda, and, frankly, that's a ridiculous thing to do when the financial integrity of our country is at stake.
Eda A.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money the government is allowed to borrow to pay the bills to run programs such as Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, military expenditures and others. If a solution is not reached, the federal government would "shut down" in that all of the aforementioned operations would not have any money with which to proceed. This may throw the nation back into a recession.
2. Republicans want to reach a solution to extend the debt ceiling limit for another year, but are calling first for a compromise on Obamacare (they want to limit certain aspects of the President's health care program). Democrats also want to extend the debt ceiling to avoid a government shut down, but they do not want to make any compromises on Obamacare.
3. I think that both parties realize that they must reach an immediate solution to extend the debt ceiling and avoid a government shut down. I think that the Republicans are acting unfairly in forcing a compromise in this critical time. I agree with the Democrats in that the debt ceiling issue should be resolved for the time being, then the discussion on Obamacare can continue. Congress should not be forced to make a decision on health care in order to avoid a financial crisis. I think that a more permanent solution for the debt ceiling is necessary, but this too can be discussed after the ceiling is raised for now to avoid a government shut down.
Ben C Response-
1)The debt ceiling is the borrowing limit that could only be raised by congress. If the debt ceiling is not raised the government could shut down. This is likely if the Democrats and Republicans cannot come to a consensus.
2)The Republicans are using the debt ceiling as a threat-means of negotiation. Some of their demands include: "the health law delay, fast-track authority to overhaul the tax code, construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, offshore oil and gas production and more permitting of energy exploration on federal lands." The Democrats are pushing for a negotiation-free fix to the debt ceiling. They do not want to capitulate to Republican demands.
3)Neither of the parties have a good view of the debt ceiling. As long as there is partisanship, there will be no progress. If I had to choose a side, however, I would choose the democrats due to the fact that they are more unified and their views would be ubiquitous. They don't include demands in their negotiations as well.
1. The debt ceiling is the total dollar amount the government is allowed to borrow for any reason. This includes paying interest on debts already incurred. If a solution to raise the debt ceiling is not reached, then the government will not be able to pay for anything and will be forced to default on its existing debts
2. Republicans have stated that they will agree to raise debt ceiling only if a list of Republican demands, including the delay or repeal of Obamacare, an overhaul of the tax code, and the granting of permission for the Keystone XL pipeline. The Democrats, however, have stated that they will raise the debt ceiling only if there are no other stipulations on the theoretical bill. In other words, they will not meet any of the Republican demands
3. Ultimately the Democrats have a more realistic view of the debt ceiling and its implications. While some of the Republican demands are reasonable, such as the proposed tax overhaul and the creation of the Keystone XL pipeline, this is not the right way to go about meeting these demands. Refusing to raise the debt ceilings would cause interest rates to skyrocket and markets to tumble, and even the thought of not raising the debt ceiling creates uncertainty and negatively affects the economy.
Bryan w.
Grace Zhao
1. What is the Debt Ceiling, and what are the dangers if a solution is not reached?
The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the US government is allowed to borrow to meet existing legal obligations that previous Congresses and presidents have made. It does not authorize new spending commitments.
Failing to increase the debt ceiling would cause the government to default on its legal obligations, which has never happened before. This could damage business and consumer confidence, spike interest rates, and cause a stock-market plunge. Markets in the US and abroad would tank. Bondholders would demand higher interest rates for holding US debt, which would raise borrowing costs for governments, businesses, and prospective homeowners.
Failing to reach a solution by the deadline, October 17, would force a government shutdown. The government would continue to provide essential services to protect the public’s health and safety, like air traffic control, national security, and Social Security, but all other government activities would halt until a decision is made. A shutdown would halt paychecks to federal workers, military service members, and government contractors and would indirectly affect millions of American families and businesses that rely on government services. A month-long shutdown could wipe out any economic growth this quarter.
2. How do Republicans want to deal with the Debt Ceiling? How about Democrats?
House Republicans want to raise the debt ceiling for one year in exchange for delaying the White House’s health-care law, changes to Medicare, an overhaul of the tax code, and other conservative priorities. In a recent bill, they proposed to prioritize some payments over others to cushion the effects of default.
Democrats reject having conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling. They want to pass a stopgap spending bill that finances the government through November 15 without Republican policy prescriptions.
3. Which political party do you believe has the better view of the Debt Ceiling? Explain.
I believe that the Democratic Party has the better view of the Debt Ceiling because they recognize the importance of preventing the US from defaulting on its loans and they are solely focused on financing the government. I think that it is inappropriate of the Republic Party to attach its own demands to raising the debt ceiling, demands which are excessive and have nothing to do with the government’s budget. It is wrong that the Republican Party is threatening an economic shutdown to gain concessions for its platform. It sets a negative precedent for future budget debates, to debate with a policy of brinkmanship and last-minute compromise.
James A.
The debt ceiling is the maximum sum of money that a government may borrow at a given time. If a new debt ceiling cannot be reached between the two houses of Congress in the United States of America, than operations controlled by the federal government could be shut down, like national parks and federal wildlife refuges. Also, federally run museums and monuments could be shut down. Besides those aspects of the federal government being shut down, some federal government workers could temporally be out of their jobs. Democrats in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives want to raise the debt ceiling to avoid a government shut down and do not want to delay Obamacare. Even though Republicans would approve of raising the debt ceiling to avoid a government shutdown, they want Obamacare to be delayed a year, rewrite some tax codes and want wide-ranging rollbacks on guidelines involving the environment. Even though Republicans want this to occur, it seems like that President Obama and the U.S. Senate would not pass through any bill involving the delay of Obamacare. Even though it seems more unlikely that a bill delaying Obamacare will not be signed by President Obama, I do agree with the Republicans’ stance on the debt ceiling because I believe that we as a nation need more time to prepare for Obamacare to go into effect and that the federal and state governments need more time to implement the bill in an organized manner.
1. The debt ceiling is the upper limit of borrowing allowed for congress. If the debt ceiling is not raised, the government cannot pay for the budget previously passed, effectively preventing the government from functioning and, outside of required spending such as certain entitlement benefits, no other spending may be done (this includes spending on national parks, military salaries, etc.). The danger is that the US credit rating will fall, increasing the cost of borrowing money and making foreign investors more reluctant to invest in the US, hurting the economy and businesses related to such international investments.
2. As of right now, the establishment in the Republican Party is more willing to raise the debt ceiling than the Tea Party faction of the party, who refuse to allow the debt ceiling to raise without their demands being met. The Democrats have no issue with raising the debt ceiling, and would prefer it get done as soon as possible.
3. In my opinion, the Democratic (and, technically, establishment Republican) view of wanting to raise the debt ceiling is the best option. I personally do not think that having a debt ceiling at all is an intelligent idea (and some have questioned its constitutionality), but either way it is irresponsible to refuse to raise the debt ceiling. It is not as if it is authorizing new spending; it simply authorizes congress to carry out the budget it has already passed (although at the moment no budget has actually been passed, again because of tea party reluctance). And to tie new demands that are entirely unrelated to the debt ceiling (including slashing environmental regulations and delaying Obamacare) to the debt ceiling debate is simply dishonorable and obstructionist. Unfortunately, because the rest of the House GOP is largely too afraid of the Tea Party to oppose them, it seems we will once again face a downgrade to the credit rating of the nation.
Steven G
1. The debt ceiling is the top legal amount of money our government can borrow without defaulting. If we go over and default, some of the consequences include job loss, saving will disappear, the stock market would crash, and we would end up in another recession.
2. Both republicans and democrats believe we should raise the debt ceiling; however, republicans are threatening democrats that they will only raise the ceiling if the democrats give into some of republican’s terms, like delaying Obama care. Currently democrats are refusing the republicans terms because they say they will not allow the republicans to use the nation’s current situation as blackmailed into making them do whatever they like.
3. Since the debt ceiling has been raised 78 times since the 1960, I don’t really see the point of it other than to be used as leverage over the other party. However, I still believe both parties are correct in thinking that the debt seeing needs to be raised. But, I think it’s disgusting that the republicans will hold the country hostage so that they can implement some of their policies. What I think should happen is that we raise the debt ceiling but put a contingency on it so that it can never be raised again. This will make both parties enough time to create new laws so that we will never go near the debt ceiling again.
Ken P
1. The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. If a solution is not reached, it would cause the government to default on its legal obligations, threatening the jobs and savings of Americans, and could pull the United States back into an economic hole.
2. Republicans propose to "prioritize" Treasury's payments by making interest payments to bondholders before making other payments. They believe they can stretch the remaining money. Democrats believe that a certain path forward doesn’t exist. There shouldn’t be any conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling and have vowed not to negotiate with Republicans on the matter.
3. I agree with the republicans who are pushing through a stop-gap federal funding bill to avoid a shutdown. This would result in measures to gut the president's health-care law. I agree with the republicans because at this point congress has to do whatever means necessary to avoid government shutdown, and if this means obamacare must take a hit then so be it. At the moment, the government being threatened of shutting down and a pending economic hole as a result takes precedent over obamacare funding
1. The debt ceiling is the amount of money that the government has to spend to operate the government and pay its bills owed. The dangers the government faces if they do not raise the debt ceiling is they will be behind on the bills and debt they are in to other countries also as of now the government has already passed the previous debt ceiling and are now using emergency funds to run the government. If congress can not come to a resolution to fix the debt ceiling the government will be in a bad position because they won't be left with enough money to properly run the government and pay its bills.
2. The republicans and democrats both want to come to a consensus to fix this government problem but they are on different pages and want different requirements to come to an agreement. The republicans want to raise the debt ceiling as long as the government and democrats agree to hold off the government healthcare
Program for another year. The republicans want to do this to stop government spending and slow down the government debt. However the democrats don't want to stop. The government spending and want to continue the healthcare programs. The democrats want to just raise the debt ceiling without having any consequences or exceptions.
3. I personally agree with the republicans views. The government today just keeps spending more and more money and going deeper and deeper into debt. It is a never ending circle. It doesn't seem like our government is trying to find any solutions to get out of this debt . The democrats want to just keep spending and creating this programs that are getting the country further in debt as well. However the republicans seem to have more of a realistic view on the debt ceiling because they know they have to stop some of this ending so the country will not have to keep raising the debt ceiling. So for the republicans having these specific requirements in order to agree to raise the debt ceiling is a more responsible outlook and I agree with there policies more so than the democrats.
-Christian S.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money the United States government is allowed to borrow in order to pay it’s bills. Payments must be made in order to meet obligations that include Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, etc. The Debt Ceiling does not allow the government to make new expenditures. It only allows it make payments that have been made by officials in the past. If there is no agreement on what to do with the value of the Debt Ceiling, the government would be unable to pay it’s bills––an event that has been unheard of in our government. If we defaulted, our country would end up in a terrible financial crisis, threatening the jobs of many Americans. In addition, stock markets here and overseas would plummet.
2. In this bipartisan fight, Republicans are willing to raise the debt ceiling only if Democrats agree to some of their priorities. These priorities include a “one year delay of the (new) health-care law, a tax overhaul, and a broad rollback of environmental regulations” (Weisman 1). These environmental regulations include the construction of an oil pipeline, and more energy exploration on federal lands. Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling, but are not willing to negotiate with Republicans on the matter. The White House and left leaning representatives don’t believe conditions should be made when dealing with this high stake decision.
3. Although there does not seem to be an agreement on the near horizon, I believe the Democrats have a better view on the Debt Ceiling. Instead of risking default and using this situation as an opportunity to attempt to get what they desire (Republicans), the Democratic Party is deciding to play it safe and not risk economic turmoil. Not agreeing to raise the Debt Ceiling would just place us deeper into the very hole we are trying to escape.
The debt ceiling is the amount of money available to borrow from other countries and to be used on government spending; Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. (According to US Department of Treasury.) New York times says “Republicans said they would agree to increase the debt limit to avert a mid-October default only if Democrats accepted a list of Republican priorities, including a one-year delay of the health care law, a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations.” Republicans did a lot of talking in this situation pushing for people to come and sit-in on negotiates of this following issue, but I believe all they are looking Democrats to meet their demands, which is no surprise and the logical thing to do. Democrats feel that they should increase the debt ceiling for things like obamacare. Limiting the debt ceiling seems like the logical thing to do at this point considering where our country is finically, even people like Warren Buffet suggests that obamacare can hurt in the long run.
Steven R
1. The debt ceiling is the upper limit based on the amount of money the United States can borrow to meet its legal obligations, such as Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. If a solution is not reached, the government would have to default its legal obligations, and this would cause America to go back into a recession.
2. Republicans will agree to another debt ceiling increase only if the Senate passes a budget resolution that includes an immediate one-year delay of the health care law, a tax overhaul and a broad rollback of environmental regulations. This is the least Republicans are calling for as more stringent Republicans advocate cuts in popular entitlement programs including Medicare, government-financed health care, and benefits for the disabled. However, Democrats believe that there should be no conditions placed on raising the debt ceiling. Their stance is that cutting government-run programs will bring America back into recession. Thus, they propose spending cuts or tax increases to be slowly implemented over a few years.
3. I agree with the Republican standpoint because the United States has to make the debt ceiling its main priority and make its goal to save as much money as we spend. Obama is searching to find a middle ground with Republicans, but over his presidency, he spent more than every other president combined, and this means panic. American has to take a risk and Democrats must realize it.
Nick H.
1.The debt ceiling is the amount of money that the United States government can borrow so that they can make all of their necessary payments. It is dangerous if a solution isn’t reached because then people wouldn’t receive any money from the government for social security or other benefits and people could eventually lose their jobs and it could turn into a major crisis.
2.Republicans want to make a deal with the democrats so that they raise the debt limit only if the democrats agree to a list of republican ideals. While democrats want to raise the debt limit so that there isn’t a complete shutdown.
3.I think the republican party has the best view on the debt ceiling because they are looking at these issues and trying to solve them through debt-reduction plans in the future so that the economy can get back on track now, rather than raise the debt ceiling again so that the issue remains.
The debt ceiling is the total amount of money the United States government can borrow to pay for pay for things. The money borrowed pays for Social Security, the military, Medicare and more. If a solution on the debt ceiling is not reached the US will default on its loan, which would negatively impact the economy. Jobs would be lost, the military would not be paid, many social security recipients would stop receiving money and we would fall into a recession.
Republicans want to postpone or get rid of the Affordable health care act entirely. They want to raise that debt ceiling, make tax changes and have budget cuts. Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling and make "Obamacare" law. Obamacare offers healthcare to people that would normally not be able to afford it. The program is costly and gives the government influence over 1/6 if the economy.
I agree with the republican approach to the debt situation for the most part. I don't think the government should be given the additional economic control The affordable healthcare act gives. I also think spending cuts should be used in all areas, including some defense spending cuts. I don't think the ceiling should be raise but instead, cuts and tax changes should be made to make a balanced budget.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the total amount of money the US is allowed to borrow in order to meet its funding requirements on things such as Social Security, Medicare, military spending, wages for employees, etc. If the Debt Ceiling is not raised the government would shut down, which means there could be repercussions such as federal employees not receiving pay, increased interest rates, and decrease in the value of stock prices.
2. The Republicans want to deal with the issue by agreeing to raise the Debt Ceiling if the Democrats agree to defund Obamacare, roll back on environmental protection spending, construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, and a lot of other compromises. The Democrats want to deal with the Debt Ceiling by raising it, in hopes that a deal will be done in the future.
3. I believe the Democrats have the best view of the Debt Ceiling. The Democrats seem to want a reasonable solution: raise it temporarily and create a long term solution sometime in the future. The Republicans want all of their conditions met so that they could complete everything on their agenda by threatening to shut down the government.
Debt ceiling is an upper limit set on the amount of money that a government may borrow. Right now the nation's borrowing limit is currently about $16.7 trillion, and it can only be raised by Congress. The dangers of congress not coming to a solution about this is the economy suffer by being in default of loans, credit rating will drop again, and the stock market will drop. This will in turn threaten the jobs and savings of everyday Americans and could roil financial markets and damage business and consumer confidence. This is all because the government runs a deficit and spends more money than it brings in through revenue. The republicans want to cut spending, put a delay on the health care law , and do away with the environmental regulations to reduce the deficit; whereas the democrats want to increase the taxes on the rich. I think the republicans have the better view of debt ceiling because they want to control and cut the deficit; and not keep spending money like the democrats want to do. Increasing the taxes of the rich just gives them more money to spend not helping to cut the deficit at all.
Amanda Per 7
Samantha K
1. The debt ceiling is the amount of money the government is allowed to borrow in order to pay off all of their bills, including the salaries of federal job holders. If a solution is not reached to raise the debt ceiling, bills will not be payed and people working for the federal government will not be payed. Not raising the debt ceiling would put the economy in further turmoil just as we are recovering from the recession.
2.While the democrats are in a hurry to raise the debt ceiling and want it passed immediately, republicans are willing to bargain before agreeing to raise it. Though republicans and democrats typically agree on the importance of raising the debt ceiling when needed, the republicans are now using it's urgency as a platform to prevent democrats from passing certain bills. The republicans refuse to pass the new budget until the democrats and the president agree to postpone the healthcare bill and make changes to other areas such as medicare and the general tax code.
3. While I see advantages on both sides of the debate, I side more with the democrats as I understand the urgency of having to raise the debt ceiling as soon as possible. Although the republicans aim to alter the democratic bills that would ultimately increase government spending, federal jobs and salaries are at risk and should not be jeopardized or threatened in this way. I personally feel that the debt ceiling should be raised as soon as possible and then only following this should republicans continue to fight an increase in government spending for things such as healthcare and medicare.
Ryan E.
The debt ceiling is the limit on the amount of money that the United States Government is legally allowed to borrow for the purpose of fulfilling legal obligations requiring payments such as social security, Medicare, and military salaries. If a solution to the debt ceiling problem is not found, then the United States Government will have to default on its loans, and this could force parts of the government to shut down due to a lack of funding. This would affect national and international markets and would be particularly potent after the recent “great recession”.
Republicans want to raise the debt ceiling for another year in exchange for an agreement to postpone ObamaCare for another year and revise tax codes. Democrats are reluctant to come to terms with republicans because the last deal made in 2011 cut spending by $900 billion, a deal that democrats still regret. Democrats want to expand the ceiling again in hopes of avoiding having to default on obligations.
I agree with the ideas of Democrats. Many people, including Warren Buffet, seem to agree that it is not the fault of ObamaCare that the U.S is in debt. It would be pointless to cut the spending on healthcare if that is not the spending that is causing the problem in the U.S. The president and many others seem to believe that it is completely possible to expand the debt ceiling without cutting other expenses. The U.S government has yet to ever fail to raise the debt ceiling, and with the state of the recovering economy, now is not a good time to default on loans and put the government at risk of shutdown.
Mike K.
The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the government is allowed to borrow. The current debt ceiling is set at about 16.7 trillion dollars. If the debt ceiling isn't raised soon, the government risks shutting down. While the Democrats want to raise the ceiling to prevent shutting down, Republicans are using the ceiling raise as a way to prevent the Democrats from accomplishing their goals like Obamacare. While I think the Republicans are taking too much risk by using a serious issue to their own advantage, I agree with them because many of the new democratic policies are contributing even more to the amount of debt our country is taking on. Also, even though hitting the debt ceiling will hurt our economy, it may be necessary to stop the cycle of spending and raising the ceiling.
1.The debt ceiling is the specific limit to the amount of money that the federal government can owe due to borrowing at any given time. In terms of a solution, because we are, as a nation, rapidly approaching the limit for allotted borrowing of money, the debt ceiling must be raised, as it has been many times in the past; this will prevent government shutdown. If a solution is not reached before the United States government reaches the zenith of its financial debt limit, a government shutdown is imminent. This would mean that although the members of congress would still be getting paid, our military and the majority of federal government employees and facilities would no longer be funded by the federal government. Museums would close, although mail delivery would remain, and although medicare and medicaid could still be funded, federal employees would lose their current benefits and possibly their jobs. Quintessentially, failure to reach a solution would mean that a temporary or possibly an indeterminately lasting government shutdown would ensue.
Kenneth H.
The debt limit is the total amount of money that the US government is allowed to borrow in order to pay its expenses, which include social security, Medicare benefits, military salaries, etc. By October 17 of this year the government has to decide whether or not to raise the debt limit. Failing to raise the debt limit would result in an economic crisis because the government’s funds would be inadequate to provide for its legal obligations. This would also result in partial shutdown of areas of the government. Since 1960 the government has raised the debt limit 78 times so it would seem like that would happen again, except since the congress is so divided, it is going to be difficult to get a new spending bill passed. Republicans and democrats have opposing views on how to handle the debt limit. Republicans want to use the debt ceiling debate as a negotiating tool to get other policies that they support passed, since they do hold a majority in the senate and preventing the democrats from just throwing another debt ceiling out again. However, the Republicans want to make a point by questioning whether or not to raise debt ceiling because they do not want it to get out of hand farther than it is, they want to assure that a serious plan is created to handle this debt. Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling to prevent an economic crisis.
Under President Obama 6 trillion dollars in debt has already been gathered in 5 years; some kind of debt limit has to be enforced or the debt will continue to skyrocket. If the government doesn’t stick to their word about a debt limit, there is no point in keeping one. Obviously it will not be a good idea to create an economic crisis by not raising the debt ceiling but I also think the government NEEDS to cut down on their spending dramatically and quickly. Although an economic crisis would occur if the debt limit isn’t raised, just think of the economic crisis we have coming for us in the future after racking up all this debt by encouraging over spending with a credit card. An agreement where we start slowing down the pace of this dramatic increase in debt has to be reached so the United States can get to a point where we aren’t making a new debt limit every 2 years or fewer, so therefore I agree with the Republican view of the debt limit.
The debt ceiling is the specific limit to the amount of money that the federal government can owe due to borrowing at any given time. In terms of a solution, because we are, as a nation, rapidly approaching the limit for allotted borrowing of money, the debt ceiling must be raised, as it has been many times in the past; this will prevent government shutdown. If a solution is not reached before the United States government reaches the zenith of its financial debt limit, a government shutdown is imminent. This would mean that although the members of congress would still be getting paid, our military and the majority of federal government employees and facilities would no longer be funded by the federal government. Museums would close, although mail delivery would remain, and although medicare and medicaid could still be funded, federal employees would lose their current benefits and possibly their jobs. Quintessentially, failure to reach a solution would mean that a temporary or possibly an indeterminately lasting government shutdown would ensue.
It’s ironic that it is considered an illegality to bribe a government official, but when one government party attempts to bribe another, this is overlooked. The house, led by speaker, John Boehner, look to leverage the situation in order to delay the Obama administration’s universal health care (Obamacare) plan for one year, and eradicate certain environmental regulations, as well as increase offshore oil production. The republicans in congress have basically set out a list of demands, in exchange for which, they have agreed to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a government shutdown. Conversely, democrats in the senate and Obama administration are refusing to comply, stating that they will under no circumstances accept the terms of the republican lawmakers. Basically, the republicans and democrats are both against a government shutdown, but each party is acting extremely stubborn. In fairness however, the republicans are trying to leverage their political wants in this situation, while the democrats simply want to avoid a government shut down, and keep this issue separate from political affiliation and goals. At the moment, there seems to be an impasse and the ceiling is rapidly approaching.
Although the democrats and republicans seem to be at an impasse right now, the senate is planning to release a bill, that upon approval, would keep the government running smoothly through november 15. However, republicans are planning to request a clause that would eradicate the plan for a medical device tax of 2.3 percent that would generate nearly thirty billion dollars for universal healthcare in a span of ten years. Thus, while the democratic party continues to search for a way to keep the government running, the vast majority of congressional republicans in the house are searching for a way to institute policy change through this impasse, putting political party gain over the interests of the American public. A government shutdown would mean the delay of subsidies and government employee payment and the shutdown of such federal agencies as the FBI and any museums or national parks. While both political parties understand that the debt ceiling must be raised in order to prevent this shutdown, I feel that the democratic party has a better understanding of its imminence and its importance. This is evident through the fact that they are not attempting to include any “strings” with the passing of a raise to the debt ceiling, while the republican party and the house are vigorously attempting to institute policy change to their favor through the imminent necessity imposed by the looming nature of the cap on financial borrowing for our federal government. Because the debt ceiling was technically already reached in May and we are approaching an end to the emergency spending measures that will allow for all payments to be met until mid October, the debt ceiling must either be raised and the republican and democratic parties must focus on their method, rather than their demands associated with agreeing to negotiate. Both parties are acting irresponsibly, but the republicans are obviously more to blame.
1. The debt ceiling is the total amount of money that the US government is allowed to borrow in order to fund its existing expenses. If a solution is not reached, the government will default on its legal obligations and the United States' credit score will be greatly affected.
2. Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by agreeing to raise it if only there is a delay put in place that would delay the implementation of Obamacare by a year. Democrats also want to raise the debt ceiling but do not want any conditions added to the short-term budget which has led to this standoff between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
3. Personally, I think both parties have it wrong with the debt ceiling. Agreeing to allow the government to borrow more money and to allow wasteful spending to continue is only putting off what this country has coming to it and that's a total economic collapse. I think it's time that the government faces this $17 trillion deficit now before it becomes $20 trillion very quickly.
Hoorann S.
1. The Debt Ceiling is the limit for the amount of money that the U.S. government can spend. Currently this limit is at 16.7 trillion dollars. The Debt Ceiling was hit earlier in May, and now debates have been ongoing on how to solve this crisis. If the debt is not paid back or if he Debt Ceiling is not raised, the government could shut down due to the default of several legal obligations.
2. By October 17, congress must agree on a solution to avoid the government shut down. This seems difficult because of the disagreements between the republicans and democrats. While the republicans wish to raise the Debt Ceiling and the cut the funding down for Medicare, rolling back environmental regulations, and implementing a tax overhaul, the democrats refuse to negotiate and want the exact opposite of the republicans. The democrats do not want to cut down Medicare and other programs nor do they want to raise the Debt Ceiling.
3. Personally, it seems to me that neither party has the best view of the Debt ceiling. Both parties seem to not care for it at all. They are more concerned about who will get the upper hand and who's interests will be implemented. The republicans basically want to get rid of everything the democrats have created. The democrats only want to keep republican interests at bay. Hence, both parties will probably play a game of chicken until the deadline because neither party wants to negotiate.
Brian I
1: The debt ceiling is the maximum amount of money that the government is allowed to borrow for the purposes of funding government programs and agencies. Should a solution not be met, aspects of the federal government could potentially shut down: public museums like the Smithsonian, Congress, etc. will lie dormant until a compromise can be met.
2: Republicans have proven adamant in their attempts to either defund or repeal The Affordable Care Act. They have tried to manipulate this debt ceiling situation into one that can better serve their agenda of repealing “Obama-care” by agreeing to raise the debt ceiling should the democrats agree to defund the aforementioned program. Democrats wish to raise the debt ceiling in an effort to advert a shutdown and deal with the issues associated with raising the debt ceiling later.
3: Both parties are far too unwilling to compromise; I don’t care for either’s view of the debt ceiling. In typical fashion, Democrats want to through money at something to fix it, and Republicans continue to hold a strong hatred for The Affordable Care act that compromises what little ability they already possessed to come to an agreement with Democrats. This hatred is continually proven by erroneous filibusters (Ted Cruz reading Green Eggs and Ham to congress springs to mind...) as well as a ridiculous 42 attempts to repeal Obama-care. Frankly, it’s a bit unsettling to see that the government is so polarized and uncompromising.
Megan C.
1.The debt ceiling is the amount of money the US is allowed to borrow in order to pay all its bills. If the debt ceiling is not raised, or the US government reaches the debt ceiling it will hinder the distribution of government payments such as paychecks to government workers, social security, and pension checks. If the solution is not reached the US will not be able to pay its bills on time and the economy will fall into a deeper recession. Stock prices will fall tremendously and bonds will not be paid out.
2.Republicans want to deal with the debt ceiling by bargaining with the democrats and they have a “Christmas list” of things they want in order to raise the debt ceiling. One of them being a delay of the passing of Obamacare. The democrats, however, want to negotiate with the republicans and do what is best for the economy when it comes to the debt ceiling. They believe it should be raised and that if it isn’t it could be catastrophic to the economy. Both parties are being stubborn when it comes to the negotiations between them.
3.I believe the democrats have a better view of what should be done about the debt ceiling. I think that it is important for the national and global economy that the best measures are taken when it comes to the debt ceiling. The democrats have the most optimistic and rational approach to the debt ceiling negotiations while the republicans are making rather insatiable demands that the democrats are having a hard time agreeing to. I think both parties need to realize the matters at hand and come together to fix the debt ceiling problems.
The debt ceiling is the amount of money the US government is allowed to borrow legally in order to meet its existing legal obligations. If an agreement within the government can not be reached the eventual result would be the US having to default on its legal obligations. Interest could shoot up and global stock could plummet. The certain effect would be catastrophe for the US economy. As the debt crisis looms closer, both republican and democratic parties still don't seem to be desperate enough to do any real negotiating. House Republicans will agree to raise the debt ceiling as long as some of their conservative priorities. The democrats, on the other hand, will only negotiate purely on the debt. At this point, i think the democrats have a better view of the debt ceiling. The imminent danger is coming to an agreement on what to with the debt ceiling. i don't think the republican side understands that they will never get the democrats to to come to an agreement as long as they make it seem like they are just trying to fulfill their own agendas.
Cristiana D. Replying to Arianna D:
I agree with Arianna's viewpoint because she states that the Democrats have a more reasonable view on the Debt Ceiling Issue. She and I shared some similar points such as that Republicans are trying to retain the nation's debt by bribing Democrats in order to get what they want. The Democrats are staying focused on the people while also thinking about how to effectively deal with the Debt Ceiling Issue without hurting the people/government anymore. Like she and I both said, the Republicans are unwilling to make a deal and they are staying stubborn against any negotiations. The Democrats are being open about the Debt Ceiling, as in that they are trying to reflect on the effects that either increasing or not touching the debt ceiling will have on the United States.
Arianna D responding to Erica L
I completely agree with your statement, for the Republicans are failing to grasp the urgency of the present issue. It is imperative that the debt ceiling be raised immediately to keep the country afloat. Only the Democrats seem to recognize this, while the Republicans are focused on a ploy to get their desired policies enacted. Although the Republicans are looking for ways to reduce the national debt, their overall method of handling the situation is quite poor. The point you made about increased interest and student loan rates skyrocketing from delaying a raise in the debt ceiling is very true. The Republicans should keep that in mind and stop pushing the policies they want.
Ryan R. agrees with Megan C., Alex J.
I do find that “the Republicans are making rather insatiable demands that the Democrats are having a hard time agreeing to. (Megan C.)” and that “the Democrats seem to want a reasonable solution: raise it temporarily and create a long term solution sometime in the future. The Republicans want all of their conditions met so that they could complete everything on their agenda by threatening to shut down the government. (Alex J.)” The Democrats in Washington seem to want to pass a deal raising the debt limit for the time being. I find that Republicans are putting their party before the people which is not right. They do not care if the government were to shut down as they would think it gives them leverage over the Democrats when it comes time to talk about cutting spending. They’re wrong! Republicans are going to look like fools when—yes when—the government shuts down. The Republican Party is made up of different factions with no one agreeing with one another which is making it difficult to come to a clear consensus. Putting Obamacare on the table and other government programs to cut or delay at this time is not right. Both parties should agree to cost-cutting measures in the near future, but we have to get this problem fixed first.
Tom Q to Ben C
Ben, saying “As long as there is partisanship, there will be no progress” is a little dramatic. There will always be some form of bias in political endeavors, especially when it comes to the debt ceiling. A consensus will have to be reached eventually, as neither political party would allow the federal government to collapse. At some point, the democrats will have to agree to some of the republican’s demands if they want to raise the debt ceiling. I think, at this point, it is a matter of time before the debt ceiling is raised. Progress will be made, it will just take a while. I do agree with you adopting the democratic viewpoint, however I think the fact that the republicans are including demands in their negotiations is only helping bringing the parties closer to reaching a decision. It is not a reason to disagree with their debt ceiling views.
Matt B. replying to Grace Z.
I agree with your statement saying that allowing the Republicans to use this as a way to achieve its own goals will set a negative precedent for the future. If Democrats give in to Republicans on this debate, who knows how often Republicans will use this strategy again? They could easily do the same thing and attach their goals to any unrelated bill if they're really that desperate to have them signed into law. However, if they do decide to do this, it will bring the already slow pace of work in Congress to a standstill, and that's something that we, as a country, can't afford to let happen.
Jessica D responding to Josie D
The Republicans want to settle the crisis as much as the democrats do, they just want to think about it before raising the ceiling and adding more debt to our country. Talking about the major programs that are funded by the government is important because if the government can cut some spending then the government can try to lower the debt. It is stupid to just raise the ceiling just because time is close to running out. It is more important to think about what they are doing first.
Emily G replying to Ryan E
I dont't think you're looking at the big picture, finding solutions for the long haul may not assist the economy immediately, but drastically effect the economy in the future. ObamaCare may not seem to be hurting us yet, but it will in the future be very costly and cutting the funds will help to decrease the spending which will therefore lead to greater savings and a lower ceiling debt needed.
Emma B. responding to Julianna H.
I agree that the government should limit its spending before increasing the debt limit because the current debt limit is already over sixteen trillion dollars. However, I believe that the Republicans should not risk the fate of the economy to try to get what they want. I think that the demands they are asking of the Democrats are not really going to save that much money and will not actually decrease government spending by that much. Therefore, I do not think that the Republicans are actually trying to limit spending by threatening the Democrats. Instead, I believe they are just using the debt limit as a way to force the Democrats into making some changes.
Tom H responding to Taylor M
I agree with your opinion, but only on the immediate situation. Yes we need to raise the debt ceiling in order to prevent a government shutdown, but we can’t keep doing this and expect this to work forever. That’s why I agree with the Republicans in the bigger picture. Perhaps they’ve chosen a bad time to put their foot down and make a statement that they won’t stand for deficit spending anymore, but at least they’re making a point. They’re tired of watching the US government’s debt skyrocket. We need to cut spending on excess programs or raise taxes because the debt isn’t going anywhere, and everyday it grows larger. The Democrats solution of raising the debt ceiling isn’t a solution, it’s a patch job.
Ken P replying to John F
I agree with JJ's view of which party has the right plan. The republicans want to postpone the ensuing economic crisis. Allowing congress to have more time to pursue a resolution. Allowing the economy to collapse (which will happen if a decision is not reached) should not even be an option at this point. Our only option is to allow, hopefully with additional time, congress can reach a decision; one that is more thought through and beneficial. That is why I believe the Republicans have the right plan.
Rob B responding to Gabe G
I agree with you that the debt ceiling is a terrible idea and the Tea Party is being completely unreasonable; however, the Democrats and less extreme Republicans are sitting back and letting it happen! If these two groups (that both obviously want to keep the government opened) came to an agreement, it would ultimately look better to the public than letting the government shut down just to stick with your party. In the event the government does shut down in 5 hours, though, I sincerely hope than most of the current members of the House get voted out of office next year.
Megan C. responding to Laurel B.
I agree with you, Laurel. I think the republicans, while they do bring up good points that should be discussed with congress; this isn’t the right time to discuss them. Both house parties should be focused on coming up with the best procedure to fix to debt ceiling. Neither one should have ulterior motives at heart. The two parties should focus on what is most important to fixing the debt ceiling. Anything else should be kept aside until the issue is resolved.
Matt A. responding to Christian S.
I disagree with your opinion on siding with the Republican's views. I think that the Republicans are being more irrational with their ideas. The debt ceiling is a big problem that affects many Americans, and the Republicans are taking advantage of it by trying to implement their personal goals, which I think is unnecessary. The Republicans aren't being more realistic because their views involve a lot more unneeded effort. They are risking their own fate and the fate of the people with their way of handling the debt ceiling. The Democrats want to deal with this in the most reasonable way which is why their way is more straight forward.
Keilah B in response to Kathleen H
I agree that President Obama had the best approach to the situation. The debt ceiling is conundrum that is worrying many people, and, instead of immediately turning around and coming up with ways to solve the problem they're wasting time blaming each other for a situation the entire government placed our nation in.
Bryan W. responding to Steven K.
While I am ambivalent about most of Obamacare and do believe at least certain parts of it should be repealed or scaled back, refusing to raise the debt limit is not the way to go about reaching this goal. Doing so not only risks total financial disaster, but even the suggestion that the debt ceiling may not raise stunts growth and harms the economy by creating uncertainty. Raising the debt ceiling is something that for the most part both Democrats and Republicans agree must get done, and trying to use that as leverage to convince Democrats to concede to some of the other Republican demands does more harm than good.
Bryan W. responding to Steven K.
While I am ambivalent about most of Obamacare and do believe at least certain parts of it should be repealed or scaled back, refusing to raise the debt limit is not the way to go about reaching this goal. Doing so not only risks total financial disaster, but even the suggestion that the debt ceiling may not raise stunts growth and harms the economy by creating uncertainty. Raising the debt ceiling is something that for the most part both Democrats and Republicans agree must get done, and trying to use that as leverage to convince Democrats to concede to some of the other Republican demands does more harm than good.
Zack R. responding to Ricki L:
I definitely agree with your points. This huge decision cannot involve personal Republican interests. It needs to reflect the interests of the people the Debt Ceiling will directly effect. Instead of risking more unemployment, the stock market plummeting, and countless other financial problems, the Republicans and Democrats need to just compromise. Environmental concerns should not have any part in this decision, and any sort of legislation regarding healthcare should not be put off any longer. Republican's should not be using this event as a opportunity to get what they want when so much is on the line here. Denying a raise in the debt ceiling may not economically effect the Republican officials in Washington, but it will have a great effect on the citizens of this country.
Caroline G in response to John F-
I understand what you are saying about giving the government more time to solve the debt ceiling issues. However, if the debt ceiling is raised how do we know that a solution will arrive within this next year? We could just be stuck in this wicked cycle of having to raise it every year because there are no solutions. Raising it every year, i think, just adds to our government's problems.
Ricki L. in response to Arianna D
I completely agree with your liberal standpoint, and believe that the Republicans need to disregard personal interests. It is paramount that the Republicans and Democrats compromise in order to ensure the economic security of all American citizens, and avoid an unprecedented default and harmful economic shutdown. It is in this selfish act that I believe that the Radical Republicans are worried more about the advancement of their political party than the "common good" of all of the citizens
John F in response to Emily G.
I Agree with what you say except that I believe the debt ceiling should be raised. If the United States government doesn't raise it then there would be more problems then if they did. The government and economy would be a mess from hitting the debt ceiling and shut down. Also, we need to cut spendings on the programs in order to focus on how we will solve bigger issues such as the debt ceiling. Oboma care can wait we have gone all this time without it, but our economy wouldn't be able to last long with a shut down government.
Kaitlyn I. responding to Arianna D.
Although I understand your viewpoint, I disagree that the Republican's proposals to cut these programs is necessarily a negative thing. In order to lower the nation's debt, it is necessary for the government to delay and cut spending to many expensive programs in order to prevent an economic collapse in the future. However, I think that the decision of which programs to delay or cut spending to should be discussed between the two parties. Doing this is a better choice than raising the debt ceiling right away since this will only increase our debt instead of finding a way to lower it.
Ben C in response to Tom Q
" Ben, saying 'As long as there is partisanship, there will be no progress' is a little dramatic." The republican party can't even keep themselves together because of the Tea Party's irrationality. Maybe if the Republicans were more unified in their beliefs, and both parties weren't so stubborn, we would have raised the debt ceiling. Personally, I don't think there should be political parties, only individual beliefs and "leaning" political philosophies, but I can only dream :).
"A consensus will have to be reached eventually, as neither political party would allow the federal government to collapse." This is not necessarily true. I think you underestimate the power of human ignorance. If the tea party republicans do not get what they want, they will probably allow the federal government to collapse. They wouldn't have those demands in the first place if they cared THAT much about raising the debt ceiling. If there were no strings attached to either side, we would have raised the budget already.
" I think the fact that the republicans are including demands in their negotiations is only helping bringing the parties closer to reaching a decision." Your logic is a bit flawed. Say for instance your mother is asking you to clean your bed (raise the debt ceiling), and you don't comply unless she lets you go to a party (republican demands). You're not going to COMPROMISE with your mother. It's either her way or your way. That is how politics works. You and your mother are both firm in your logic, so unless one realizes his/her mistakes and complies with the other, no change will occur.
1. The debt ceiling is the limited amount of debt that the government can legally accumulate before shutting down many financial services. An agreement between Democrats and Republicans must be achieved or else there will be forced cuts to pensions and government jobs. The United States spends around double the money each day than the financial capital on hand. The Government is in danger of shutting down many of its' services so an agreement must be made soon.
2A. Republicans want to raise the debt ceiling for a year as long as the government postpones or suspends some of the very expensive programs including Obamacare and pensions. The Republicans are realistic when it comes to raising the debt ceiling because it can only be raised so much, there is a true meaning behind the increasing number because the extra debt needs to be paid at some point. The republicans understand that the only way to make the debt decrease is to cut spending because we don't produce enough to just rely on profits.
2B. Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling again and not worry about the current trend of spending billions of dollars that will take years to pay back. Democrats don't want to cut programs which is good but it is impractical considering that the programs cost so much money. I don't understand how the U.S can possibly get the debt down without making major budget cuts.
3. I think the Republicans have a better take on the situation because it is more realistic. The Democrats want to keep raising the debt that keeps digging the government into a deeper hole. Money is not free so the government is just going to keep racking up debt if they keep spending without making major changes. It is unfortunate that services have to be cut temporarily but it is preventing the debt from being even larger. Also, I really agree with the idea of raising the debt ceiling for one year while also cutting spending through health care and other costly programs. Also it seems like a good idea to cut military spending because we need to worry about our economy instead of warfare in other countries.
Christian C in response to Christian S.
I completely agree with what you are saying about the views of many Democrats, we cant afford to keep spending money that we know will take years to pay back. The Republicans do have a more realistic approach to the debt ceiling even though it is unfortunate that cuts must be made. The only way to lower the debt ceiling is to dramatically decrease our spending or else it will soon be too late and the government will be forced to default on loans and make even more dramatic cuts on public services such as education and the police. we have to just deal with the debt head on soon or else it will dramatically affect everyones lives.
Eda A. responding to Grace Z.
I agree with your comment that the Democrats have a more sensible view on the Debt Ceiling debate because it is inappropriate to force a decision on health care in this crucial time, as the Republicans are doing. I agree that the health care debate is another issue for another time, and the government, both Republicans and Democrats, should be focusing on an agreement on the debt ceiling right now to prevent financial problems. I also agree with your comment that the Republicans' current policy of "brinksmanship and last-minute compromise" sets a negative precedent for future debates concerning the debt ceiling, and other time-sensitive issues.
Kathleen H. responding to Kaitlyn I.
I agree that raising the Debt Ceiling is risky, because it could lead to a continuous cycle of raising the limit and avoiding the pressing need to reassess the budget. However, the idea that the Democrats are refusing to make “any negotiations” seems faulty, since the Republicans are being equally stubborn. Republicans have gone beyond refusing to compromise - they have essentially presented the country with an ultimatum, in which the Democrats must either agree to an great number of changes that go against their platform or face an imminent government shutdown. If the tables were turned, utter outrage would surely ensue among Republicans. A legislature should engage in argument and discussion, yes, but in the end it should be able to compromise and make intelligent, unemotional, rational decisions. Although both sides are avoiding the idea of a compromise, the Republicans have crossed a line and turned this into nothing more than a political power struggle.
Rebecca C. responding to Tom Q.
Although it will "lighten the blow" of our current recession, what if this temporary and immediate solution ends up being exactly that—temporary and immediate? With all 78 times that the debt ceiling has been raised, it's been tried and proven to never act as a permanent solution. If the past few years of raising the debt ceiling have not foresaw drastic, positive changes in our economy, why should we assume that this time something will change? You say that you agree with the Democrats because you believe that not raising the debt ceiling would be catastrophic for our economy, but what exactly steers you towards the Democrat rather than the Republican view? Both wish to increase the debt ceiling, no? I'm only curious as to your rationale against the "conditions" set by the Republicans. Wouldn't setting some restrictions, thus seeing how those restrictions work out AS WELL as giving the economy some time to "fix itself," be less risky than giving the Democrats free reign to raise the debt ceiling without any other solution to offer? It's already established that the government is undeniably spending more money than it brings in; therefore, something needs to be changed before the situation spirals out of hand. Raising the debt ceiling each time seems to be a small price to pay each time the government hits their maximum debt limit, but "small prices" add up to become a downward spiral. I will outwardly say that I normally not agree with Republican policies, but it's a chilling thought to imagine where we'll be in thirty years if the Democrats continue to let the debt ceiling be raised unchecked. Whether it is the Democrats or the Republicans that get their way, the bottom line is that something has to change, whether it be cutting back on some spendings and directing them towards higher priorities, or creating new government policy.
Grace Z. responding to Tom Q.
I agree that the debt ceiling must be raised immediately because if the government is allowed to default on its loans, there will be disastrous economic consequences. I also agree that raising the debt ceiling will give the government time to debate over the budget, which programs to cut, reforms to make, etc, and give the economy to recover.
I think that spending cuts or an increase in taxation must be made to prevent a similar situation in the future, but the programs that the Republican Party proposed to cut should be debated in a separate sitting. Using the deadline as leverage for its own political agenda is only undermining the importance of coming to an agreement. The debt ceiling should be the immediate concern for both parties.
Greg C. Responding to Emily G.
I disagree with the idea that the debt ceiling should not be raised since that would in effect destroy life as we know it. A government default means that America's economic standing in the world community is destroyed, and life for its citizens would be harder. Government employees will not receive their pension or paychecks. A government who cannot pay its debt also would have worthless currency which means that the value of the dollars in our pocket would be worthless. If the government cannot be trusted to even pay off its own debt than they would not be trusted to back the currency that they have and are printing. Also, I disagree with choosing the Republicans as the better party. The Republicans seem to be using the crisis as a bargaining chip to achieve their political goals. They do not seem willing to compromise.
Gabriel G. responding to Christian S.:
I think you do not understand the magnitude of what you're suggesting. Though I understand the worry with government spending, threatening to take the world economy hostage and default on our debt obligations is a dishonest, irresponsible, and awful way of doing it. Raising the debt ceiling does NOT create more spending; this is a misconception. Raising the debt ceiling simply means we agree to pay for things we already said we'd pay for. Not raising the debt ceiling is the equivalent of making big purchases with a credit card and deciding not to pay it back. And the consequences would be drastic: spiking interest rates, economic repression, and according to some, worldwide economic disaster.
Attempting to use the debt ceiling to make a political point is simply economic terrorism. If the Tea Party wishes to create a conversation about spending, then they may do so in the spirit of honorable discourse and discussion, not horrifying hostage taking.
Alex J responding to Steven R
I disagree with your viewpoint that Congress shouldn't raise the debt limit because the government has to "save as much money as we spend." The debt ceiling is about paying back the money we have already spent, and is not about borrowing more money. The world's economy relies on the United States paying back the money it owes and not doing so would cause a global recession.
James A. responding to Jesse M.
I find your view of agreeing with the democratic side on the debt ceiling issue as incorrect because I believe that raising the debt ceiling again is a horrible idea. We, as a nation, need to focus on spending cuts to bring down the deficit instead of giving the federal government a more instant cash injection. We need to stop borrowing money from nations like China because the more money we borrow, the more debt we get into. About your point on Social Security, it would probably be considered something not to be cut while the government is shut down because it is important to many Americans in the United States. The government still has money to fund these programs, but if this goes on for a year or so, then paying people Social Security could be a problem.
Mike K. responding to Gerald E.
There is a difference between bribing and compromise. It wasn't a bribe when the Anti-Federalists wanted a Bill of Rights before ratifying the United States Constitution. And suppose we did raise the debt ceiling and the government continued to run "smoothly" until November 15th. What happens when we hit the debt ceiling again? Should we allow the government to stall and stall until our debt is so crippling that it plunges us into an even worse financial crisis? Maybe this government shutdown will allow the republicans and democrats to return and start focus on important things like cutting spending on programs that will do little to help our economy and raising the governments revenue. You are only focusing on what is happening right now, but if changes aren't made soon, we'll be dealing with the same problems for years to come. Also, instead of the republicans and democrats "being stubborn", would you rather have a party system that doesn't argue for what they want, essentially destroying the model of our government that has been working for so many years. The founders of our country intended for decisions to take a long time so we could make educated decisions, not decisions based on impulse (i.e. raising the debt ceiling without first considering the consequences.) Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are wrong for not being able to raise the debt ceiling. I'm not saying that the Democrats should just give in to the demands of the Republicans, but if they worked together, we could've come up with a decision that could've had benefits for both parties.
Nick H replying to Brian J.
I don't think that the republicans are trying to fill their own agendas because they are trying to come up with a compromise to get the economy back on track. I think that the democrats will eventually have to come to an agreement with the republicans no matter how much they don't want to. This problem needs to be compromised so if the republicans are trying to make a deal with the democrats then that is what needs to be done and there is certainly a chance that it will happen. I agree with the statement that the two sides aren't seriously negociating yet. The two sides have very strong opinions on how to solve the debt problem so they need to start serious negociations so that both sides can agree.
Hoorann S. responding to Kathlin H.
I agree on your opinion. The debate about Obamacare should be discussed at another time. Right now, solving the Debt Ceiling problem should be the first priority. Goverment shut down could have long-term consequences on our economy. The republicans should not be demanding everything they want just so they can have an upper hand over the democrats. By now a compromise should have been reached. This is not about who wins a game. It is about what is best for the people.
Ben C to Ryan L
"Obviously, I concur with the Democrats. Their view is reasonable and non-destructive. Raising the debt ceiling is simply something that must be done." The debt ceiling was not raised. Aren't they partly to blame? If they had complied with Republican demands, the debt ceiling would have been raised. This just shows that the Democrats are unable to compromise on Obamacare. Sometimes it's important to sacrifice for the greater good.
Pat C to Ryan R
I agree that the Republican controlled House went to far in trying to prevent the Affordable Health Care Act. Republicans are against "Obamacare" and I don't have a problem with them disagreeing with the law but letting the government shut down in an attempt to stop it is ridiculous. The stopping of the Affordable Health Care Act is nearly impossible (unless the House lets the government shutdown, which it did) ,the Supreme Court has already ruled that the law is constitutional. I think Republicans need to agree to Obamacare and get the government open for the people (and for self preservation as letting the US default on its loans is very unpopular).
Allison K. responding to Laurel B.
While I agree that the Republicans are wrong to attach other issues to the issues of the Debt Ceiling, I think you are misunderstanding what these other issues are. It is not so much that they are threatening the existence of environmental regulations or health care; rather they are asking for the Affordable Care Act to be pushed to next year and are saying that environmental regualtions to be decreased because of the extra spending that the government must use on it. These issues are definitely issues that must be discussed and compromised on within Congress. However, they should not be tied to the issue of the Debt Ceiling.
Keilah B.
1. The Debt Ceiling represents the uppermost spending Congress believes the government can do before finally paying off its dues. This marker, or limitation, that Congress has suggested is slowly approaching and may lead to an unprecedented shutdown of the government. This shutdown is rumored to affect government workers, those who receive money from the government, and healthcare beneficiaries. Although not too many people are initially affected by the shutdown, there is an evident fear as to what may trickle down after it.
2. Republicans are those who seem the most worried about the crisis. They have members of their party drafting ideas, other members sharing with the media their projecting opinion on what is to come, and a select few blaming the Democrats and calling them "irresponsible", which seem to want to glorify their parties efforts to fix the problem with new and composed solutions. The Democrats, however, don't seem to be too affected by the shutdown scare. They don't want to raise the ceiling, a redundancy of this past May, they'd rather just pay off the debt and move on to other crises.
3. I agree with the Democrats. Although passing the debt ceiling is said to bring egregious circumstances, I don't believe it's much to worry about. President Obama even affirmed the government had always payed its bills, now we know the government has a tradition of going into debt before paying anything off, the Republicans should calm down and realize they're crying over spilt milk.
Laurel B responding to Megan C
I completely agree with your point of view on who is right in this debate. While both parties seem to be unwilling to compromise the Democrats do have a better view. As you pointed out, they are considering the national and global economy in their argument and they most definitely are the most optimistic. I also agree with you that the demands by the Republicans are compeltely irrational and the Democrats should not agree to their terms and it should stay strictly tied to the debt cieling rather than other topics.
Christian R. responding to Jakob R.
Although i agree with several of the points you have made such as the concept of middle ground negotiations. However you have said that they need to cut unnecessary programs and this is where i must point out a flaw in this argument. This concept of "unnecessary" programs is the whole debate of the two parties. The Republicans claim that Obamacare is a nonessential and unnecessary program. This is obviously a dividing factor from Democrats who are in favor of this program. So claiming that they can just cut these programs is not that simple. Every part of the Federal budget and debt ceiling seem to be a point of debate and unfortunately claiming that they can just cut "unnecessary" programs is simplifying a complicated political standoff. Although I do agree with a lot of your points i feel that this one comment weakens your valid and well thought out argument.
Ryan E. responding to Bobby H.
I disagree with your interpretation of Warren Buffet’s suggestions. The NBC article states, “Buffett said he sees health-care costs as a ‘huge problem for the country … but that's not the fault of Obamacare,’ because the spending trends have been in place for decades.” This proves that buffet believes spending on healthcare is not causing the problem for the U.S, since the U.S has been spending this same money on healthcare for so many years.
Steven K. replying to Ryan E.
What you said can be argued as true, but not when it comes to what is needed and what isn’t. Of course there are a number of other policies, acts, or what have you that spend more than the Affordable Care Act, but funding goes on a necessity base, for the most part, and the ACA is something that is not needed right now, especially at such a trying time for our economy. So, if thinking logically, you’d remove the policies and acts that have the least amount of need to them, the ACA being one of them. And the fact that the Democratic Party thinks that a simple “raise” in the debt ceiling will solve anything will lead to the same crisis in the years to come. If you keep stacking poorly placed Jenga blocks, they’re going to topple over eventually. It is better to solve part of the issue now, rather than put it off, only to put it off again when it comes around. A certain degree of foresight needs to be in the minds of Congress in order to achieve anything worthwhile and beneficial; without it, nothing can ever truly be effective. The Republican Party, from what is being said, so far has this grasp and understands what it means to manage a budget, while the Democrats simply think “raising the bar” will solve the problem.
And for those that argue that what the Republicans are doing is a form of some hostage negotiation, you can clearly explain it through a simple(yet somewhat radical) analogy: Would you stop a terrorist from detonating a nuclear device at the cost of a few lives in order to save millions? Would you attempt to stop a bank robbery to save your money and others? Extreme and radical as they may be, they demonstrate a core thought of what is going on in the Republican party, at least in my mind: collateral. They sacrifice what needs to be done now at the expense of a few, in order to save the majority of the rest. Soldiers in battle do it, everyday ordinary people do it, and so do Congressman.
Lindsay S. in response to Erica L.
Certain expenses must be cut to decrease our debt before we think about raising the debt ceiling. Emergency measures that we are using now cannot work forever, and therefore some changes must be made.If these changes include a delay to the health care bill, so be it. Before the ceiling is raised it is in our best interest to try to cut debt as much as possible.
Robert H. response ro Ryan. E
Surprisingly i agree with you, I reread what he said and you stand corrected, i just see it has a big issue at hand and one of the major reasons republicans are having a difficult time discussing the debt ceiling, but then again most republicans are greedy and don't understand its a give and take situation and they seem to not understand they can't win all arguments. Although i agree that the debt ceiling should not be raised.
Kevin H in response to Jakob R
I highly agree with what Jakob says when he talks about how they should not be focused on raising the debt ceiling when instead, they should be focusing their efforts on reducing how much they spend on certain programs that aren't as important as others. Cutting some of these non essential programs will help the government save large amounts of money that they can use to repay debt or to fund other more important programs. Another thing that Jakob said that I personally agree with is that putting a tax on the wealthy will be better off for everyone. The wealthy can handle these tax increases because they have the largest amounts of money. It is better to tax people who have large amounts of money instead of the middle class which is struggling right now or even the lower class which could not pay higher tax rates regardless since they don't have enough money to. Both democrats and republicans should be working together to handle the situation in an appropriate way instead of constantly checking each other so that nothing gets passed, which is another point that Jakob brought up. Overall I think that Jakob's arguments were strong one and I do believe in the thoughts and ideas he clearly states.
Jakob R. responding to Gabriel
It's an interesting point that he brings up, the constitutionality of the debt ceiling itself, and whether or no we should have one in the first place. I had previously thought that the debt ceiling was intended to stop government spending in order to reduce debt allocation, but if the government is simply going to raise the debt ceiling every time we get close to it, is there really a purpose to it? We might as well do away with the debt ceiling all together.
Kevin H in response to Jakob R
I believe that the points that Jakob brings up in his response are valid and interesting. I see what he is saying about taxing the wealthy and how they would be able to handle it but that does have it's negative effects also. Not only would this mean that there is less money circulating in the system between buisnesses and consumers, it also means that there would be less jobs available to people that are in the middle or lower class. If you give the wealthy a larger burden when it comes to taxes, you let them have less and less money. This seems like it would help everyone but in fact it doesn't. If you give more tax to the wealthy, they will not be able to open new businesses or hire new workers due to this decrease in money they have. When there are less jobs available to the middle and lower class, you have a problem. So sure the wealthy would still be wealthy and live in their big houses with their nice cars but they would have to take that money out of somewhere and that means laying off some more workers at their business which results in the upper class being unhappy because they have to pay more money to the government, and also having the lower and middle class unhappy because there are going to be less and less jobs available as the taxes increase for the wealthy.
1)The debt limit, or debt ceiling, is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. The debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments so if the government spends too much money and cannot pay it off, and thus cannot raise the debt limit, this causes a government shutdown. the dangers of this isn't that the public sectors, which are jobs funded by the government, are in dangers of getting cut and jobs and funding are lost.
2)Republicans want to raise the debt limit for a year until they can find a solution to pay it off. This means delaying the passing of Obamacare as well as that is costly. Democrats want Obamacare to be passed quickly and do not want to raise the debt limit nor make any agreements with the Republicans.
3)The Republican party has a better view of the debt ceiling because they are seeking a way to solve the problem with efficiency. If we spend less money and cut unnecessary programs then we can save money and reach the debt limit faster
Brian I responding to James A
Your view of republicans merely wanting more time to prepare for The Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare as you mentioned 5 times) seems highly flawed. It would seem that republicans will do anything possible to stop the ACA and will jump at any opportunity to defund or reject the program, even though it has been passed by congress and even upheld by the Supreme court.
I highly doubt that republicans have any real intention of enacting the ACA after a year should their hostile demands be met now; a staggering 42 attempts to remove the act can certainly prove this. Frankly, both sides are acting childish, but republicans have taken the county hostage so that important environmental and health laws can be removed simply because they aren't fans of them.
Josie D. responding to Eda A.
I agree that Democrats and Republicans need to work out their issues at a time when there isn't so much at risk. Obviously, the system of dealing with the debt ceiling is flawed, but the Republicans aren't helping solve it by forcing the Democrats to either cater to their wishes, or let the government shut down (which is what ended up happening). Although the Democratic view of raising the debt ceiling isn't the perfect solution in the long run, under the current circumstances it is necessary.
Julianna H. responding to Tom H.
I agree with you that Democrats are looking for a quick fix while Republicans are looking for a more permanent fix. However, according to you, now is not the right time for the Republicans plan. Well then when is the right time? If the debt ceiling is raised without cutting any spending, the Democrats would have no reason to listen to any Republican solutions anymore and the government may end up in the same situation again in a year. I feel that now is the right time for Republicans to act by using the debt crisis to get legislation passed and help the economy in the long run.
John V, Reponse to Gabe G
I agree with you that having a debt ceiling is a bad idea altogether but I disagree when you say not raising it is irresponsible. Isn't it considered irresponsible when an individual can't pay their bills but keeps using their credit card? Then why is it okay for the government year in and year out to say that it's okay to keep spending the way they are and to just raise the debt ceiling when they approach it?
I realize that raising the debt ceiling isn't adding any additional expenses and it's just borrowing money for existing programs that already exist in the budget. However, like you mentioned, a budget hasn't been passed yet because Democrats refuse to pass any budget that doesn't fund Obamacare. The House is being wrongly accused of being irresponsible by so many people (including Harry Reid and Obama) yet they've agreed to pass a budget that funds the government, just not Obamacare. So if anyone is going to be called 'irresponsible', it should be Democrats because they are holding Obamacare on a pedestal above all other government programs and refuse to negotiate unless funding is allocated towards it. With that being said, $17 trillion in debt (and counting) is not going away anytime soon at the current rate of spending and is only going to get worse if proper spending cuts aren't made. Our ever-increasing debt will only be accelerated with the addition of Obamacare into the government's budget, which is why Republicans are taking such a strong stance against funding it.
Dan D. responding to Steven G.
While it's a nice sentiment to just never raise the debt ceiling in the future so there's no more bickering over it, that's simply not realistic in the current economic climate. Refusing to raise the ceiling in the future would be an unwise decision with the United States' debt still barreling out of control. It's simply not reasonable to try and curb spending to an incredibly large degree right now in an effort to reduce debt. Instead of vowing to never raise it, I think that it would be a much better choice to knock down the ceiling. It doesn't do very much to limit spending as it always gets raised, and it would prevent situations like the government shutdown from happening again. Additionally, it's perfectly legitimate for the parties to use the ceiling in order to gain power. This is politics, after all -- the whole game is manipulating power.
The debt ceiling is a cap set by Congress on how much the government can borrow in order to pay its debts.
That debt is the amount of money the government currently owes for spending on payments like Social Security, Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt and tax refunds. If Congress does not come to an agreement on the debt ceiling it will have an effect on the federal gov't, anybody who works for the the gov't will not get paid until further notice all public parks and sights will be closed, this will also effect the stock market. There are two sides to this issue the democratic and the republican. The democrats believe that the debt ceiling should not be raised they are fighting for obamacare to stay a law .Republicans want to raise the Debt Ceiling for one year in exchange for an agreement to delay the White House's changes to Medicare, tax codes, environmental regulations, and health care laws. I believe that the state that our gov't is in should push both the democrats and republicans to negoitate terms however that doesnt seem to be the case both sides are going strong for what they believe in. If i had to agree with a side I would agree with the democrats because they believe that raising the spending will just led to even more problems in the future. They also believe cutting costs from medicare, obamacare, environmental issues etc. wont help the situation they are in.They fought for these laws to be passed so why would they want them to be cut/ underfunded?
Rawann E.
Rawann E. Responces to Arianna D.
i agree with you 100% the democrats understand the consequences of raising the debt ceiling and they also understand that they cant overturn a law that already has been in effect for over a year. I love how you said "peacefully" :D
Taylor M in response to Tom H:
I agree with what you said about Republicans looking for a permanent fix and Democrats looking for a quick fix to the problem. Republicans are only making it difficult for Democrats to come to an agreement with them because they're trying to make them give in to all their conditions, while they aren't being realistic. They should just try to solve the problem lying in front of them and compromise rather than be stubborn. They can worry about the changes they want for Medicare and the tax code later when this vital problem is solved but for now it's most important to get back a functioning government. They don't seem to care about the country as a whole as much as they care about the wants of their party.
Adem A. agrees with Ryan R.
I believe that the democrats have the right to figure out whats best for the economy and to help the next future shut down of the US government. What wasn't right was the Republicans demands that they wanted to get met by the democrats in order for them to pass the law. They were being greedy and selfish for their own personal agenda and their own gain. They didn't want what's right for the economy or for people to make a comeback from the economy. All they cared about was being selfish republicans and wanting to make more money for their own selfish greedy businesses. Cutting out programs that are beneficial to the population of Americans is just cruel and inhumane. Republicans should be ashamed of what they wanted to get passed. Democrats deserved to pass the law not the selfish greedy republicans
Ryan L in response to Jakob Reiley
I agree with you that the rich can handle more taxes, but at the moment, I think our highest priority should be to keep our government intact. Rethinking the details of spending should come after we let our government default on its loans.
Brian J. in response to Gerald E.
I agree with how you think that how you think both parties are to blame for being incompetent when it comes to working together on this issue. I also agree with how you feel the republicans are being far less cooperative since they are trying to inject their own political priorities into a situation that requires a bipartisan approach.
Matt M. Responding to Rob B.
First off, I do agree with your idea of these two sides being completely oblivious to the idea of trying to help a country with no government, but I have to disagree with you on the idea that both sides are to share the blame. I believe that the republicans are more to blame because the only way that they said they would be open to debate was if their list of "demands" was met. Meanwhile, the democrats simply wanted to meet with the republicans so that this issue could be resolved, but that clearly wasn't the outcome. Also, I believe that settling with the ideas of the democrats would be better than leaving it to 535 middle schoolers.
1) The debt ceiling is the limit set on the amount of money that the United States government can borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. The dangers presented by a failure to reach a decision include the government to defaulting on its legal obligations and a financial crisis that would threaten the jobs and savings of everyday Americans. This would put the United States back into a potential depression, just as the country is recovering from the recent recession.
2) Republicans are trying to use the debt ceiling issue as leverage to push plans that would raise the debt ceiling and are trying to pass a stop-gap federal funding bill that would in turn eradicate the president's health-care law. Democrats are adamant about not raising the debt ceiling and are refusing to budge.
3) I believe that the democrats have a better view of the debt ceiling because if the government becomes more and more buried in debt, the country will eventually not be able to withstand it and crumble. Also, the idea of using the debt ceiling as leverage just to get Obamacare overturned is juvenile on the Republican's side.
Samara N. in response to Ryan R.
I agree that the republicans need to "give it a rest." Their exploitation of the country during this very vulnerable time is extremely opportunistic and vindictive towards the Democrats. It is now because of them that the government has closed its doors and our economy could potentially experience turmoil.
Sadly James, your statement that the republicans are sumply tryin to buy more time to prepare the federal and state governments for the implementation of the affordable care act is simply untrue. Firstly, in such a situation as this where a government shutdown can and did occur, leveraging the situation with rewrites in tax codes and the delay of a bill is highly irresponsible. Furthermore, through such a request, the republicans in the house are simply trying to remove the focus and scope from Obamacare in order to sweep it under the rug, rather than to simply delayIt. Lastly, while the democrats understand that the debt cei is not something to toy with, the republicans care more about their political agenda than their country's efficiency in spending.
Steven R responding to Jesse M
I disagree with your argument because the United States has to start implementing a plan to pay back the money we owe. Although Medicare, disability benefits, and other acts are imperative, the United States would be well-advised to stop the Affordable Care Act, which bumps up tax prices to make healthcare universal. However, in reality, this tax is unnecessary, and we would be better off collecting taxes to pay off the national debt. Now in a state of default, the United States has to rethink how it spends its money.
James A. Responding to Gerald E. Comment:
Gerald, the next you make a comment on my post, make sure you comprehend what I have typed. When you typed, "Sadly James, your statement that the republicans are sumply tryin to buy more time to prepare the federal and state governments for the implementation of the affordable care act is simply untrue," it seems like you were trying to twist my words because that was MY OPINION. I BELIEVE that we as a nation need more time to adjust to Obamacare policies. IT WAS MY OPINION; I WAS NOT REFERRING TO THE REPUBLICAN'S POINT OF VIEW ON DELAYING OBAMACARE FOR A YEAR. I hope I have clarified that for you and before you type something bashing my views next time, make sure you have typed accurate information.
Jesse M. in response to Emily G.
I agree that I don't think it should be raise, but also I think that the Republicans raising it for just a year will be helpful. By raising for a short period of time and cutting back on expenses, it will give the nation time to decrease it's debts little by little.
Christian S. Responding to Christian R.
You bring up some vet valid points and I believe your theory is good and is essentially what is going to end up happening in this crisis. Even though this programs were good ideas for the country at one point or another I do however believe the government has to demolish these programs. The government just keeps spending more and more money and creating these programs but in essence it's just putting us into deeper debt and is the main cause for having to raise the need to raise the debt ceiling. So yes I believe it is important that the overrated resolves this problem and meets somewhere in the middle to reach an agreement but I also think it is necessary to get rid of some of these programs that may be on the less important side and try to lower the amount of money spent and find some ways to get out of this terrible debt instead of increasing the debt even more.
Christian S. Responding to Christian R.
You bring up some vet valid points and I believe your theory is good and is essentially what is going to end up happening in this crisis. Even though this programs were good ideas for the country at one point or another I do however believe the government has to demolish these programs. The government just keeps spending more and more money and creating these programs but in essence it's just putting us into deeper debt and is the main cause for having to raise the need to raise the debt ceiling. So yes I believe it is important that the overrated resolves this problem and meets somewhere in the middle to reach an agreement but I also think it is necessary to get rid of some of these programs that may be on the less important side and try to lower the amount of money spent and find some ways to get out of this terrible debt instead of increasing the debt even more.
Steven G responding to Ryan E
I agree with Ryan that the democrats have a better view on the debt ceiling and that the government will most likely not default since it has never done so in the past.
Ken H. responding to Greg C.
Although I agree that the debt ceiling should be raised for the time being, I don’t agree with your reason or argument. The Republicans want to secure the future by working out a comprehensible plan for limiting this ridiculous spending so that all the weight of paying off this massive debt doesn’t fall on future generations. However, the republicans don’t want to see an economic crisis occur but they want to see a plan to limit the debt be put into place. Republicans also see it as an opportunity to get rid of Obama Care which will help everyone in the long run. What is scary about the Democratic opinion is that they are too willing to raise the debt ceiling as well as protect Obama Care. Is a plan ever going to be made to take care of this debt? Or are we just going to continue passing bills that raise the debt ceiling when we get to the next deadline? Just because someone uses a credit card doesn’t mean they can spend it whenever they want, however they what and as much as they want. They are going to have to pay the debt back sometime. This democrat willingness to raise the debt limit doesn’t represent concern for a change to be made in the government’s spending.
Marc F. responding to Ryan E.
I completely agree with your view Ryan. I am not biased to either the Democratic nor the Republican viewpoint and I just believe that the fastest and most efficient decision should be made regardless of the party. By cutting funding to healthcare, this crisis would not be avoided but instead it may worsen the matter. I don't at all believe that we should be creating more problems to attempt to fix another. I believe the Democrats are correct in thinking that we need to raise the debt ceiling to give more time for the government to fix this problem. This is just not a good time to be defaulting on our debts and this could lead us into an even larger crisis.
John P responding to Daniel D
I disagree with you on the last issue, I don't think the Republicans had the upper hand with anything. Most Americans blame the Republican party for the government shutdown (I think the poll was ~67% blamed Republicans). While it may have seemed like a good idea on paper, I do not believe it was at all effective in action. In my opinion, all it accomplished was making the legislative branch look like a group of little kids that would sooner knock over the Monopoly board than go bankrupt.
Christian F.
1. The debt ceiling is the limit the government is allows to spend on existing government programs. It does not affect any new government programs created. If no solution is found to the debt ceiling, there will easily be major repercussions. If the debt ceiling defaults, many government programs will be forced to shut down. Programs such as Medicare and social security could be shut down or greatly hindered, and many government workers will not be able to receive pay. This could create catastrophic economic consequences to our country.
2. The democrats and republicans seem to agree on one thing: the debt ceiling must be raised. The republicans agree to raise the debt ceiling contingent on certain premises. They demand the delay of certain health care laws and reduction of many environmental regulations, among other things.
2. I believe that the democrats seem more willing to reach an agreement, and (although he is a democrat himself) Obama has stated that the republicans are essentially blackmailing the democrats for the continuation of the United States government.
Christian F. Responding to Emily G.
Although you point out some interesting points in your comment, I believe quite differently about the republican argument. In my opinion, they are, in essence, blackmailing the president and the Democratic Party with their demands. The president even commented about the sheer ridiculousness of their argument in a speech to the public. They are simply using this urgent issue as leverage to force the president to abandon "Obama care," which has faced increasing levels of disapproval from the Republican Party since it's creation.
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