{"id":22689,"date":"2025-07-23T15:26:55","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T19:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?p=22689"},"modified":"2025-10-11T13:52:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T17:52:38","slug":"merkley-boyle-durbin-kaine-introduce-legislation-to-prevent-future-debt-ceiling-hostage-taking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-boyle-durbin-kaine-introduce-legislation-to-prevent-future-debt-ceiling-hostage-taking\/","title":{"rendered":"Merkley, Boyle, Durbin, Kaine Introduce Legislation to Prevent Future Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Years, Republicans Have Held the Debt Ceiling Hostage, Continually Putting the United States\u2019 Credit at Risk<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WASHINGTON DC<\/strong> \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Representative Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, introduced legislation that would end the political brinkmanship around the debt ceiling and allow for a process to suspend the debt ceiling, subject to a congressional override. In addition to Senator Merkley and Congressman Boyle, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are cosponsoring the legislation. In May, President Donald Trump signaled his support<\/strong><\/a> for scrapping the debt ceiling to avoid an \u201ceconomic catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA debt default has the power to destroy our economy, and that\u2019s exactly why we need to make sure it never happens,\u201d <\/strong>said Ranking Member Merkley. \u201cWe have seen Republicans use the debt ceiling as a political hostage time and time again \u2013 leading us closer to default than ever before. Continuing on the path we\u2019re on now is all risk and no reward. We can\u2014and must\u2014reform this process in a way that maintains congressional oversight while de-weaponizing the debt ceiling. Doing so is the best and safest path forward for our economy and for the American people.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe cannot allow Republican debt ceiling brinkmanship to bring our economy to the verge of catastrophe,\u201d <\/strong>said Ranking Member Boyle. \u201cIf President Trump is serious about avoiding the devastating consequences of a default, this legislation must represent the bare minimum standard for any agreement. I have spent a decade working to reform the debt ceiling, and I remain ready to work with anyone committed to finally addressing this persistent threat to our economy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cTime and time again, we have come far too close to a catastrophic default crisis, proving that our current debt ceiling process is broken and unsustainable. For the sake of the American people and for the good of our economy, we need legislation to reform the way we address the debt ceiling.  The Debt Ceiling Reform Act<\/em> is responsible, common sense legislation that will give the Treasury the authority to suspend the debt ceiling, absent a resolution of disapproval from Congress,\u201d <\/strong>dijo el senador Durbin.  \u201cPresident Trump has repeatedly called to abolish the debt ceiling.  If Republicans are truly concerned about the economic well-being of America, they will work with us on this sensible solution.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDefaulting on our debt would be catastrophic to our economy, raise mortgage and borrowing costs, and threaten our ability to provide Social Security, Medicare, and veterans benefits,\u201d<\/strong> dijo el senador Kaine. \u201cWe must make reforms to stop the reckless political brinksmanship regarding the debt limit that we\u2019ve seen in recent decades. That\u2019s why I\u2019m joining my colleagues in introducing this commonsense bill to do just that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The idea of having the president increase the debt ceiling, subject to a vote of congressional disapproval, was originally proposed by then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell\u2019s proposal was incorporated into the Budget Control Act of 2011, which, enacted in August of that year, authorized the president to increase the debt ceiling in three installments. While the broader Budget Control Act had numerous flaws, the mechanism proposed under the McConnell plan was key to avoiding a disastrous debt default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El Debt Ceiling Reform Act<\/em> reformar\u00eda el proceso de aumento del techo de la deuda haciendo los siguientes cambios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n