In a video interview with The Daily Caller, Democratic Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson said it is time for Congress to “do away with the entire process of legislatively raising the debt ceiling.”
“The requirement to pass the debt ceiling is legislatively based, it’s not constitutionally based and it’s unnecessary,” Johnson told TheDC Wednesday on Capitol Hill.
“It was a political tactic that benefited some at the time that it was passed but now it may benefit a few politicians, but it’s to the detriment of the nation so therefore, it’s time to do away with the entire process of legislatively raising the debt ceiling.”
Neither Congress nor President Barack Obama should have to approve an increase in how much money the nation can borrow, Johnson argues.
“When you go out and put something on your credit card and you get the bill at the end of the month, you don’t have to ask your wife or ask anybody whether or not you should pay the bill, you just go ahead and pay the bill, because you’ve already spend the money – that’s what the debt ceiling issue is all about. It’s that simple.”
“Let’s stop playing games using a political tactic that is no longer useful to try to extract spending cuts from the administration. It’s just, this is just mindless, it’s unworkable, it’s unuseful, it’s unnecessary and it’s time to get rid of it.”
House Speaker John Boehner has said that spending cuts should exceed any increase in the debt ceiling.
Rep. Johnson and Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jim Moran of Virginia, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Peter Welch of Vermont introduced The Full Faith and Credit Act of 2013 on Wednesday, which would eliminate the debt limit.