14th Admendment and the Debt Ceiling

[TheGlobalizer]

A little late to the game, but...

No.  The failure to increase the debt ceiling does not invalidate debts incurred.  The debt ceiling is basically a cap on the amount of Treasury bonds issued, the proceeds of which are used to pay debts.

Without the debt ceiling increase, we'd be legally insolvent, but that would not be the same as an attempt to make the corresponding debts invalid.

Default occurs when you cannot procure the money to make necessary interest payments or to otherwise service issued debt.  That too does not constitute "questioning" the debt, it just means that the government failed to comply with the terms of the debt.

Think of it as a debt that you have incurred and have taken no steps to satisfy payment.  Then you pay your debt with your credit card.  Then you don't pay your credit card bill.  The debt is still there, and is not questioned and there is no attempt to consider such debt invalid.

Default is a BFD but refusal to honor debt would be much, much bigger.