
Biden Passes the Debt Deal, Avoiding Default
Should Congress abolish the debt ceiling?
Updated June 5, 2023
- President Joe Biden signed the debt deal on Saturday, avoiding a default on the nation's debt. In an address Friday evening, Biden said:
“I know bipartisanship is hard and unity is hard, but we can never stop trying, because in moments like this one—the ones we just faced, where the American economy and the world economy is at risk of collapsing—there is no other way.”
Updated June 2, 2023
- The Senate passed the debt limit bill in a 63-to-36 vote. The bipartisan legislation, which will suspend the debt limit and impose new spending caps, is now heading to President Biden to sign.
Updated June 1, 2023
- Wednesday night, the House passed Biden and McCarthy's bill to suspend the nation's debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, with a 314-117 vote.
Updated May 30, 2023
- President Biden and Speaker McCarthy struck a deal for the U.S. debt ceiling. McCarthy released a 99-page long legislative text finalized over weekend negotiations to be voted on by House lawmakers.
- Both Biden and McCarthy said the bill includes necessary trade-offs. Biden told reporters on Sunday:
"The agreement prevents the worst possible crisis: a default for the first time in our nation's history, an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, millions of jobs lost."
- McCarthy said the bill is not 100% what both sides are asking for but praised the framework for being able to gain bipartisan support.
- Set spending caps for the federal budget in 2024 and 2025, with appropriation targets for the following four years;
- Raise the age of food stamp recipients subject to work from 50 to 54, but only until 2030;
- Create new exemptions that waive work requirements for young adults aging out of foster care, all veterans, and the houseless, only until 2030;
- Place restrictions on how often states can waive work requirements for food stamp recipients;
- Reduce the timeline for when environmental impact statements must be released for proposed projects and reform the way federal agencies conduct environmental impact statements;
- Decreasing funding for the IRS;
- And end the current pause on student loan repayments and interest accrual 60 days after June 30.
Updated May 23, 2023
- Biden and McCarthy met last night at the White House to continue discussing the debt limit. While it ended with no deal, the two expressed optimism that they would come to an agreement to avoid default.
- The Biden administration and House Republicans continue to double down on their own conditions. However, last week, Biden suggested there was a possibility he would consider McCarthy's proposal of requiring able-bodied adults without dependents enrolled in federal safety net programs, such as food stamps, to work. Progressive Democrats are concerned about Biden's suggestion.
- Both parties have also signaled a potential agreement regarding the $60 million in unspent COVID relief funds.
Updated May 22, 2023
- With just 10 days left to take action before the potential debt default, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are meeting this evening to discuss their plan. Both have acknowledged the main sticking point that needs to be addressed — mandatory spending caps.
- Little progress has been made on the government spending level negotiations between the White House and McCarthy's representatives. On Monday morning, McCarthy said to reporters:
"The underlying issue here is that Democrats, since they took the majority, have been addicted to spending. And that's going to stop. We're going to spend less than we spent last year."
- Biden said Sunday that across-the-board cuts "make absolutely no sense at all."
- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has maintained that June 1 is the government's "hard deadline" to raise the debt limit, or the U.S. will face the consequences of the nation's first-ever default.
Updated May 3, 2023
- Democrats responded to the news that the U.S.'s debt could default as early as June 1 by attempting to start the process to force a debt-limit increase bill to the floor through a discharge petition that could bypass Republican lawmakers.
- The Democrats introduced an emergency rule on Tuesday during a pro forma session held while the House was in recess. The move would allow them to start collecting signatures as soon as May 16. At least five Republicans would need to cross party lines to force the bill to the floor.
- President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have taken steps to pave the way for an 11th-hour deal with Republicans. Biden is meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, signaling significant changes after months of not budging.
- As Biden and Republicans are in a standoff over the nation's debt limit, the Federal Reserve has decided to continue raising interest rates by a quarter-point to fight rapid inflation, a move that will weigh on the U.S. economy.
Updated April 26, 2023
- House Republicans are pushing forward their legislation to raise the debt ceiling, cut spending, and undo President Biden's various plans for the U.S.
- The GOP is rallying support around their proposal after leaders made a series of last-minute changes to the legislation designed to win over key Republicans — a major move after lawmakers insisted they would not make edits to the bill.
- Speaker Kevin McCarthy walked members through some of the changes during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday morning, leading to a few dissenting members beginning to fall in line. Now, GOP leaders are confident that their bill will pass later in the day. Zero Democrats are expected to support the legislation, and McCarthy can only afford to lose four votes in order for it to pass.
- If McCarthy can unite his side of the aisle and get his bill through the chamber, it will be a huge win for the GOP. The speaker's supporters say passing the bill is crucial to strengthen the Republican's argument in their negotiations with Biden and the Democrats.
Updated April 20, 2023
- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy released a legislative framework to raise the nation's debt limit for one year while decreasing federal spending.
- His proposal, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, would increase the debt limit by $1.5 trillion or raise the ceiling until March 31, 2024 — whichever came first. Additionally, it would limit discretionary spending, retrieve unspent pandemic-related funds, eliminate Biden's student forgiveness plan, and cut funds earmarked for the Internal Revenue Service.
- On the House floor Wednesday afternoon, McCarthy said:
"Limited government spending will reduce inflation and restore fiscal discipline in Washington. If Washington wants to spend more, it will have to come together and find savings elsewhere — just like every single household in America."
- McCarthy is expected to bring the proposal to the floor next week, echoing his confidence that the GOP will support the legislation. He noted that the cuts would not impact Medicare and Social Security, but his framework will include work requirements for adults without dependents who are enrolled in federal assistance programs.
- Democrats remain critical of debt ceiling negotiations that impact work requirements for people on those programs. Rep. David Scott (D-GA) said:
"Let me be perfectly clear: Holding food assistance hostage for those who depend on it — including 15.3 million of our children, 5.8 million of our seniors and 1.2 million of our veterans — in exchange for increasing the debt limit is a nonstarter...Speaker McCarthy and his extreme Republican colleagues are ensuring their failure."
Updated April 19, 2023
- The tension between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over the national debt escalated this week. Both sides are holding their ground, neither indicating a will to budge nor when negotiations will resume.
- McCarthy turned to Wall Street on Monday to pitch his plan for the debt ceiling, which the White House and Democrats almost immediately disapproved of. At the New York Stock Exchange, the Speaker said the House Republican Conference would move forward with its own measures "in the coming weeks" to avoid default. Biden, on the other hand, still wants a clean debt ceiling increase for this year.
- White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said:
"Speaker McCarthy is breaking with the bipartisan norm he followed under [former President] Trump by engaging in dangerous economic hostage taking that threatens hard-working Americans' jobs and retirement savings. A speech isn't a plan but it did showcase House Republicans' priorities."
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said:
"President Biden does not get to stick his fingers in his ears and refuse to listen, talk or negotiate. And the American people know that. The White House needs to stop wasting time and start negotiating with the Speaker of the House."
Updated March 9, 2023
- President Biden revealed the third budget plan of his presidency today, which the White House says reflects the administration's commitment to building a fair economy. The $6.8 trillion plan will increase spending on the military and new social programs while reducing future budget deficits.
- The White House says Biden's plan would decrease the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, primarily due to increased taxes on corporations and the rich. However, critics point to the government's projected spending, which would be $1.8 trillion more than the government would receive in 2024.
- The Republican-controlled House is not expected to pass the budget. Still, it will lead to a significant debate over the trajectory of the nation's debt limit, especially since the GOP is focusing on spending cuts.
- Biden's proposed budget would also increase funding for Medicare, Obamacare, Medicaid, the EPA, affordable housing, free preschool, reinstatement of the Child Tax Credit, Pell grants, student benefits, and more.
- To successfully implement the increases, Biden's plan proposes a minimum tax on billionaires of 25%, a 28% tax rate on corporations, a cut in tax breaks for oil and gas companies for real estate investors, increasing tax on stock buybacks, ending tax breaks used by cryptocurrency transactions, and more.
- During his formal release of the plan in a speech in Philadelphia, Biden said:
"I value everyone having an even shot. My budget reflects what we can do to lift the burden on hard-working Americans. Too many people have been left behind or treated like they're invisible. I promise you, I see you. Families have started to breathe a little easier, but we've got further to go."
- Republicans are criticizing the plan, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy calling Biden's proposal "completely unserious" on Twitter. McCarthy continued:
"Mr. President: Washington has a spending problem, NOT a revenue problem."
Updated February 3, 2023
- President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy discussed America's debt ceiling at the White House on Wednesday. Biden insisted that Congress needs to pass a debt-limit increase with no strings attached to avoid a financial crisis, which Republicans refuse to do without cuts in federal spending.
- While the President told McCarthy he would not negotiate on raising the ceiling, he does welcome a "separate discussion with congressional leaders about how to reduce the deficit and control the natural debt while continuing to grow the economy."
- After the meeting, McCarthy told the press:
"No agreements, no promises. Except we will continue this conversation."
Updated January 25, 2023
- Speaking with reporters Tuesday evening, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said establishing a solution to avoid catastrophic debt default must start in the House. McConnell continued:
"I can't imagine any debt ceiling provision passed out of the Senate with 60 votes could actually pass this particular House. I think the final solution to this particular episode lies between Speaker McCarthy and the president."
- Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said he wants to find common ground with the Biden administration to create a "responsible debt ceiling" and eliminate careless government spending.
- Biden has maintained that the debt ceiling must be addressed "without conditions" and that he will not agree to spending cuts to avoid failure to make payments. McCarthy called Biden's nonnegotiable stance "irresponsible." McConnell believes the House is being entirely reasonable by "[putting] spending reductions on the table."
- The GOP has focused on cutting down Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and many other federal payments and benefits. To this, Biden responded:
"Look, I have no intention of letting the Republicans wreck our economy."
Updated January 20, 2023
As Congress negotiates raising the nation's borrowing cap, here are some crucial moments to expect over the next few months:
- The White House is expected to reveal its annual budget proposal in March. This outline of the Biden administration's spending priorities will open up negotiations between them and Republicans in Congress who want to see spending cuts.
- Yellen told Congress yesterday that she initiated a "debt issuance suspension period" that will last until June 5.
- In the past, Congress was able to raise the debt ceiling before the Treasury breached the statutory limits on its ability to borrow funds. This time around, the same course of action seems unlikely. Republicans are urging the President's administration to negotiate spending cuts in order to win House Republicans' support for raising the debt limit. Democrats have rejected such proposals.
- Officials have raised the possibility of using the House's discharge petition, a procedural tool that forces a bill out of the committee and to a vote. The process of a discharge petition is long, drawn out, and undercuts the authority of the House speaker. Many also note how this tool is clumsy and infrequently successful.
What’s the story?
- The U.S. hit its debt limit earlier today, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. In a letter to Congress, Yellen said the Treasury has started implementing extraordinary measures so the government can continue paying its bills.
- These maneuvers will prevent the nation from exceeding its debt limit, which is currently at $31.4 trillion. Lawmakers are being asked to raise the ceiling so the government can continue meeting its financial obligations, including military salaries, payments to bondholders, and retirement benefits.
- The nation's debt grows when the U.S. borrows large sums of money by selling Treasury bonds to global investors and using the profit to pay off the country’s bills. Yellen wrote in her letter to Congress:
“The period of time that extraordinary measures may last is subject to considerable uncertainty, including the challenges of forecasting the payments and receipts of the U.S. government months into the future. I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.”
- In August of 2021, the government’s debt limit suspension ended, prompting a similar letter from the Treasury. Yellen wrote to congressional leadership warning that failing to raise the debt ceiling “would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy and livelihoods of all Americans.”
What are the extraordinary measures the Treasury uses?
- The Treasury has four moves at its disposal to avoid exceeding the country’s debt limit — suspending sales of state and local securities, Government Securities Investment Fund (G Fund), Exchange Stabilization Fund, and the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.
- Yellen said the Treasury is only taking two of the four steps to buy more time — suspending new investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the G Fund.
- The Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund is one of the largest federal pension funds. With a suspension period, the Treasury can redeem existing investments and stop making new ones.
- The G Fund is a retirement fund for federal employees. The Treasury has halted reinvestments, but not the G Fund’s balance or federal employee investments.
Lifting the debt ceiling
- Congress needs a simple majority in both the House and Senate to vote for any change to the debt limit. Republican lawmakers want to leverage the negotiations to try to force spending cuts, which the Biden administration is adamantly against.
- While raising the limit used to be a routine exercise for Congress, there’s now concern that it would have potentially huge consequences for the economy and markets.
Should Congress abolish the debt ceiling?
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: iStock/pabradyphoto)
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The debt ceiling is a useless political artifact from a bygone era. It was a Congressional political stunt to get funding to support our war time efforts for, I believe, World War One.
No other country requires a legislative vote to permit paying back borrowed funds that have already been expended. No Business, no person, no-one has the ability to declare that they have a limit on how much of the funds that they have borrowed will be paid back to those they borrowed the funds from. No-one.
As articulated by Mitch McConnel years ago, the debt ceiling is a useful tool for the tyranny of the minority to use against the majority, by holding the full faith and credit of the US hostage.
Even McConnell has backed away form this as the economic consequences of even threatening to use the debt ceiling as a political tool greatly risks the future of the US economy, the stability of world financial markets and the World economy.
US currency has become the basis of the world economy becuase in our history, our country has never failed to repay it's debt. Our bonds are the world's safest investment in part becuase of this.
The last time this game was even seriously threatened by Republicans, the economy took a immediate downturn, the stock markets dropped rapidly and our country's credit rating dropped. These things all directly and/or indirectly effect all of the people in this country.
The MAGA morons in the House are mainly interested in getting media attention for their brazen stupidity as a means to raise funds; they really do not care about the damage they may leave in their wake.
Once Congress approves and allocates funds the debt has been accrued and, in reality, must be paid back irregardlesss of whatever shenannagins are played with the debt ceiling. If the Congress wants to better control spending and the increased debt, then do so when legislative programs are passed and funds are allocated.
The trump's tenure saw the largest national debt increases of late, just as George Bush's tenure did. The National debt has decreased during Obama's tenure and has been reduced in each of the first two years on Biden's tenure. Last year's reduction is on the order of $1.4 Trillion. Much of this reduction in National debt has come from the return on Biden's investments in the economic future of the country.
Biden's investments are offering good returns in much the same way that good busiiness investments in the future are expected to provide positive returns. These will continue to reduce the national deficit as they have been doing as long as those who want solely to discredit their opponents do not choose to sacrifice the full faith and credit of our country to do so - which would result in a multi-generational economic disaster for our country.
The debt ceiling is only useful as an economic weapon of mass destruction of our country should some morons choose to wield it.
Eliminate the debt ceiling for our National Security primarily and for the stupidity of leaving this economic suicide weapon on the books for these many years. There are those currently in our governance that are willfully stupid enough to use this tool no matter the consequences to the future of our country.
The debt ceiling is arbitrary at best. It's a waste of time and taxpayer money to have these staged political threats. Abolish the debt ceiling and get on with business
Some home we need to reign in our spending like a young person with their first credit card. I fully understand ful filling our responsibilities. But we are worse than the state of California in spending. Everyone wants money out of the trough, but there is only one pump feeding it. Our military budget is the biggest in the world and it all does not go to service members pay. It goes to dishonest contractors. Always has. I agree we need to reduce our spending, but this debt has been produced by Congress already. They don't even look or debate on budgets anymore, just rubber stamp anything in front of them. But this is my feelings. NDOW neither my Representative or two Senators could care less. So, why should I even address this, they won't. I have one who will go with the Republican flow and two who will vote us deeper in debt. Guess I should just be quiet and watch our country fold.
All things considered, I'm generally in favor of any debt ceiling legislation that:
• Avoids a catastrophic default on our debts and worldwide financial chaos
• Comes from bipartisan compromise, like how government is supposed to work
• Helps Congress appear less dysfunctional
• Retains most of Biden's landmark achievements
• Annoys the extremists on both the right and the left
This is a bit of a weird question given the current congress has made it clear in no uncertain terms they plan to take our country hostage and blackmail them into cutting social security and Medicare programs before they will agree to make payments on our debt (it's like refusing to make credit card payments). Because they don't care if they burn our country, its economy, and the world's economy down. They don't care if they violate the constitution. Seriously, anyone supporting the gop that still thinks they are supporting the constitution these days, haven't read it.
However, if the gop does this, which seems likely, they only way to avoid this is for Biden to overrule Congress using the stipulation in the 14th amendment, stating the USA always pays its debits. Of course, this is basically a scorched earth unprecedented approach having the president overruling congress. It will be a huge hot mess, but it might be the only option if Congress decides to both blackmail us while playing a game of chicken against their constitutional duty.
The debt ceiling needs to be raised so that the government can continue to pay its bills. It is being held hostage by the Republicans who are trying to negotiate cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Those cuts would devastate the lives of American senior citizens who live on their meagar Social Security income and can afford health care through Medicare and Medicaid. This is a dangerous game. Not raising the debt ceiling for a length of time will lower the US credit rating and increase the interest on the debt as well as do great harm to the overall economy.
This is a political joke. Just like threatening to shut down the government. We have funded by every party to engage in wasted, useless wars. We exceeded our budget on those lost lives of our military members and innocent civilians. And now you play games with the American people.
Raising the debt ceiling must not be allowed to be held captive for partisan amendments. Budget negotiations must be separate from the debt ceiling!
You idiots.. Get rid of McCarthy now.. I will work tirelessly taking all of your benefits and healthcare. Only SS and Medicare.. Term limits and no immunity. All get audited..
This has become to political like all government. If we don't stop MAGA republicans we won't have a country. They want The US to be like Russia run by them and crooked Donald Trump. Republicans put up or shut up about the all crimes Biden committed. Stop wasting my tax dollars on bullshit.
On 60 minutes show the gouging by corporate America through the military by inflated prices!how about breaking up the monopoly of corporations sense there is no competitive or free market in corporate America! Need to nationalize corporate America for a start in stead of attack social security and Medicare! The fleecing of America by corporate greed!
Now that this has passed and we have 2 years before another possible hostage crisis on the debt ceiling, let's get back to the business of passing real legislation that affects our country.
And you know, maybe sometime before September, Speaker McCarthy might actually propose a budget that will show his priorities for the country.
The debt ceiling debocile is a total waste of tax payers dollars. Paying congress wages to fight about money already APPROVED a and SPENT a is just stupid. There are so many more pressing issues to debate, like voters rights, womens rights over their own bodies, the right to publish and have books read, etc.! And, budget talks should have all parties come with substantial numbers and reasons for change, not all this garbage that's been out there. Tax changes should be on the table, fair taxation is required. It's time for congress to work for their supper so to speak!
abolish the debt ceiling.
McCarthy and all who voted it should be gone. I am sure you all profit from it and we get screwed. I will work the rest of my life to recind your special health benefits and retirement. You should at the most get plain old Medicare and Social Security.
The "Debt Ceiling" that is not found in the Constitution can be too easily weaponized, as proven by the recent actions of Kevin McCarthy and the so-called "Freedom Caucus" that should be renamed the."Malignant Control Caucus." Thus, it needs to be removed from the budgetary process.
Here in Nevada, we are seeing Gov. Lombardo use the same weaponization tactics by vetoing the Appropriations Bill because our Legislature is challenging his "School Choice" program that gives public funding to private and charter schools.
We must not allow the current iteration of the Republican Party to use hostage-taking in the budgetary process.
No other country has a debt ceiling. All decisions are made in the budgeting process and after a decision is made to incur an expense, there is no quesiton about paying the bills. It's stupid of Republicans to make this an issue, just abolish the process.
The House and Senate should agree to abolish the debt ceiling. This country has been hijacked by the Republicans in both Houses of Congress to hold hostage the full faith and credit of the U.S. and rile markets around the world. The debt ceiling is about paying past debts, which were increased dramatically when the GOP passed Trump's 2T dollar tax cuts skewed disproportionately to the wealthiest Americans. (The decades-old GW Bush tax cuts for the rich and the never-ending wars also added to this debacle.) The budget negotiations should not be connected to the debt ceiling debate, but the Republicans desperately wanted to use economic terrorism to pass draconian legislation that would further fuel instability and decrease every social program that is popular even with the majority of their own voters. It's time to rid ourselves of the arbitrary debt ceiling before the GOP causes a global depression. Beth Van Duyne in the House and Ted Cruz in the Senate are detriments to our Democracy. Vote them out!
Do we need a den ceiling?
Keeping a debt ceiling accomplishes 2 points:
1. Periodically provides a current Congress - whose makeup did not cause the debt (entirely) - to review the overall financial state of affairs.
2. Periodically causes an awakening of the media and We The People - taxpayers or not - about the overall financial state of affairs
True, bills requiring the spending of money leading to increasing or decreasing the debt have already been passed. However:
A. Much of our annual spending is on auto-pilot via Non Discretionary categorization and needs a periodic national debate
B. The national landscape - priorities, emergencies, unspent promises, and more and more importantly interest rates paid on our growing debt - constantly change after the spending has been committed further needing the national debate on the size of our indebtedness
Thank goodness for these periodic debates!
I will not pretend to fully understand advanced economics. However, I can grasp how damaging it is to our economy that the ultra-wealthy and large corporations do not pay their fair share of taxes. It's a lot of money that could help pay some bills, folks. Cuts to our social safety nets are a drop in the bucket in comparison.
Would have prefered a clean bill.
The Budgets needed to be SEPERATE from this.
We should all live within our means without going into debt. That includes all governments within our boundries and territories. We are not the worlds police force and I for one, am sick and tired of tax dollars being wasted on trying to "keep the peace" when we can't even take care of our own country. As American citizens, we are all family regardless of ethnic background or religious preference and "family comes first". ALWAYS. To hell with political parties and their big money controllers. They are nothing more than a bunch of greedy, power mad control freaks who need to be ignored and removed from influence. As the late Mother Thersea once said: "We, the willing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much with so little for so long, that we are now qualified to anything with nothing." Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick and tired of all the political grandstanding and game playing everytime an election is coming up. It is nothing more than continueing BS no matter what is going on.
I'm glad the bill passed Congress and we will not have a default, but the price was still higher than acceptable.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline allowance and acceleration is unacceptable, and I hope progressives give lots of feedback to President Biden and the Democrats who allowed it to stay in the final bill. We cannot keep building pipelines while trying to incentivize green energy and reduce use of fossil fuels, and I hope Manchin loses his Senate seat to show that he's a failure in the pocket of the coal and gas lobby.
I'm disappointed that Senator Casey voted yes on this bill without removing the MVP, but I'm unfortunately glad we are moving forward from default. I hope we can protect the environment in every bill going forward.
Need to protect our credit rating.
The Debt Ceiling has not prevented Congress from authorizing an obscenely bloated Defense budget without crucial oversight. It hasn't prevented Congress from allowing tax loopholes for Corporations and super rich that would provide more revenue to cover our debts. It hasn't inspired Congress to pass legislation for Medicare For All which is both more humane and cost effective than any of our current approaches to medical care in America. The Affordable Care Act only adds to the profits of insurance companies with government funds while failing to address the health issues. It has done nothing to demand that the FDA and EPA sharpen their teeth against corporations that undermine our health. It has done nothing to pass the Green New Deal which is a pro-active approach to the peril our planet faces and the growing costs in the aftermath of "natural" disasters.
As far as I can see, it has only been used as a bargaining tool. The Republicans can rape the American people and the Democrats have an excuse to let them. That may be enough reason for Congress to keep the Debt Ceiling in effect, but you are doing a disservice to the voters who put you in office and the taxpayers who pay your salaries and benefits that they can't afford for themselves.
Would stop either party from turningbdebt limit into political folder. Better yet let's abolish app political parties and make everyone run as independents. Let's abolish all PAC and corporate donors. Put severe limits on amounts any person can donate.
We need to stop being held hostage because of it. Enough!
Not in the constitution and a source of battle. Why keep it and get rid of it.