Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution

[David Lockmiller]

This is a new version of McCarthyism.

The original version is defined as "the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence." (Dictionary.com)

This new version of the law is defined as the practice of passing compromise legislation as to expenditures and taxation revenue and later demanding huge revisions in the legislated compromise when the debt limit is reached. Democrats tend to want to help the poor; Republicans tend to want to help the rich.

The reaching of the debt ceiling right now has resulted in the "new McCarthyism," named for the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy.

Here's how it works: After the compromise legislation is passed, the compromise net revenue stream to the national Treasury proves to be insufficient and the legislated debt limit is about to be passed. The "new McCarthy" Republicans now refuse to raise the debt limit unless the legislative compromise of expenditures (defense spending and benefit payments to the poor) is negated to their benefit. The "new McCarthy" Republicans demand defense spending (which favors defense contractor stockholders with major holdings - the rich) be significantly increased and the benefits to the poor be significantly decreased.

It was the compromise legislation on expenditures and taxation that has led directly to the legislated default limit on the national debt. As a matter of constitutional fairness, either the debt ceiling should be legislatively increased or immediate legislation should be passed increasing tax revenue from the rich and decreasing benefits to the poor, in some combination.

Instead, this new version of McCarthyism calls for increased defense spending and drastic cuts to the benefits for the poor.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution (stipulating that the validity of the public debt of the United States “shall not be questioned”) implicitly treats the debt as sacrosanct. And, the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land.