 Republicans are threatening to destroy the economy if President Biden doesn't give in to their demands. But the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gives them the power to stop them. Republicans are taking advantage of the so-called debt ceiling to try to force deep, painful cuts to programs Americans rely on. If Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling, America might have to default on its bills, destroying the credit of the United States and wiping out millions of jobs. Now remember, raising the debt ceiling is not about taking on new debt. It's about whether America will pay its current debts. This is a key reason why raising the debt ceiling should not be negotiable. Ironically, Republicans had no problem raising it three times under Donald Trump, even as they enacted major tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy that caused the nation's debt to soar. But now, Kevin McCarthy and his band of MAGA radicals, they say they'll only raise it in exchange for drastic cuts to health care, education, veterans' benefits and more. My advice to President Biden, ignore them. Mr. President, your oath to uphold the Constitution takes precedence. And as the Supreme Law of the Land, the Constitution has greater weight than the law on the debt ceiling. Section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution explicitly states that the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned. A debt ceiling that prevents the government from honoring its existing financial commitments clearly violates the Constitution. So if Republicans threaten the full faith and credit of the United States, you are constitutionally obligated to ignore the debt ceiling and must continue to pay the nation's bills. Should they wish, let the radical Republicans take you to court. Even the conservatives on the Supreme Court will likely support you. No originalist interpretation of the Constitution could read that document any differently. The Constitution makes it clear that Congress's power to borrow money does not include the power to default on such borrowings. If Republicans are going to play this game, Mr. President, you need to play hardball.