The 14th Amendment and the Debt Ceiling

The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 to prevent repudiation of civil war debts. The Supreme Court's interpretation left a number of unanswered questions, says John Avlon. Some experts say that only issued debt is authorized by law; others counter that Congress has appropriated funds for subsequent expenditure. "If you want to question that, the time to question it is not during a debate over the debt ceiling," Avlon says.