Biden says he thinks he has authority to use 14th Amendment to end debt ceiling standoff

President Joe Biden said Sunday he thinks he has the authority to end the debt ceiling standoff with congressional Republicans by invoking the 14th Amendment. 

"I’m looking at the 14th Amendment as to whether or not we have the authority — I think we have the authority," Biden said at a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, The Hill reported. "The question is, could it be done and invoked in time that it would not be appealed, and as a consequence past the date in question and still default on the debt. That is a question that I think is unresolved."

Biden has mulled using the 14th Amendment for the past few weeks as the deadline to avoid defaulting on debt quickly approaches. Section 4 of the 14th Amendment states: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

If Biden invokes the amendment, it would challenge the constitutionality of the debt ceiling and try to bypass Congress completely on the issue.

Biden also said Sunday that he met with all four congressional leaders and that they agreed the nation would not default on its debt.

Congressional Republicans have been fighting to increase the debt limit on the condition that the federal budget is reduced. The White House has stood firmly against the proposal. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.