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    Members and supporters of the American Federation of Government Employees participate in a protest on February 11, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

    Federal Workers Union Says Biden Right Not to Negotiate With GOP Over Debt Ceiling

    "The debt limit must be cleanly raised to avoid default and ensure the continuation of funding for the government and critical programs," the AFGE president told lawmakers.

    Kenny Stancil
    Jan 25, 2023

    The largest union of federal workers in the U.S. urged Congress this week to raise the debt ceiling without mandating reductions in social spending, arguing that President Joe Biden is right to reject the GOP's attempt to use the nation's borrowing limit as leverage to force through devastating cuts.

    "The debt limit must be cleanly raised to avoid default and ensure the continuation of funding for the government and critical programs like Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, and the U.S. military," Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), wrote in a letter sent to every member of Congress on Monday. "No negotiation that puts these programs or any aspect of federal employee compensation at risk should be considered."

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    Treasury Secretary Yellen Meets With Visiting Canadian Officials

    This Is Absurd. The Debt Ceiling Must Be Abolished

    Given the hostage threats by Republicans, it is obvious that the U.S. should join the vast majority of rich countries around the world who do not have a statutory debt limit.

    Josh Bivens
    Jan 24, 2023

    U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced last week that the federal government had reached the statutory debt limit and that her department had begun “extraordinary measures” to meet required spending obligations. It is estimated that by July these extraordinary measures will no longer be able to keep some spending obligations from being missed.

    The fact that the statutory debt limit can inject such chaos into the American political system and economy is truly odd. The debt limit measures nothing coherent and has no relationship to any serious measure of the economic burden imposed by the nation’s debt. It has as much relevance to the nation’s objective economic health as today’s horoscope. Yet if it’s allowed to bind, disaster would result. And if the price of convincing House Republicans to raise the debt limit is large cuts to federal spending, this still ensures grave damage to the economy and vulnerable families.

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    Opinion
    debt ceiling
    Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks during a hearing

    Warren Slams Republicans for Creating 'Economic Chaos' to Protect the Rich

    "If this were really about the national debt, then there are plenty of places we could go to stitch up loopholes, like no more of these tax havens abroad," said the senator. "But that is not where the Republicans want to go."

    Julia Conley
    Jan 23, 2023

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday took aim at the Republican Party for creating what she called a "manufactured crisis" as a potential fight over the debt ceiling looms, slamming the GOP's threats to public spending as the party works to make it even easier for the wealthy to avoid paying taxes.

    On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the Massachusetts Democrat said the Republicans are actively trying to "wreck the economy" to protect the wealthy.

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