NTEU members across the country are urging Congress to do its job and raise the debt limit to maintain the full faith and credit of the United States.
The Department of the Treasury has made it clear that failing to increase the debt limit would have catastrophic economic consequences and cause the government to default on its legal obligations leading to a financial crisis. There is no playbook for exactly how federal agencies would manage their workload, triage their spending and meet payroll. It is precisely that uncertainty that should frighten all Americans, especially federal employees whose paychecks could be delayed while they continue to work. I don’t know how federal employees are expected to pay their rent or mortgage with an IOU instead of money in their wallets. The same is true for anyone who needs a fully functioning federal government to send out Social Security checks, pay contractors and give the American people the tax refunds or advanced child tax credit payments they need to make ends meet. An increase to the debt limit simply allows the government to fund existing legal obligations. NTEU calls on Congress to act immediately to raise the debt limit.