Black Caucus urges Obama to use 14th Amendment debt fix

August 1, 2011 by legitgov

Black Caucus urges Obama to use 14th Amendment debt fix 30 Jul 2011 The Democratic members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) urged President Obama on Saturday to sidestep Congress and hike the nation's $14.3 trillion debt limit on his own. In a letter to the president, the lawmakers argue that he has "both the authority and a moral obligation" to invoke the Constitution's 14th Amendment "to avoid an economic catastrophe of historic proportions." The lawmakers join a growing chorus of Democrats – including Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) – who have called on Obama to invoke the Constitution as a last resort to prevent a government default.