Quote from bearice:
if the political battle to raise America's $14.3 trillion (pounds 8.8 trillion) debt ceiling is not settled.
We will Impeach Obama if he follows the Constitution: Republican Congressman
If August comes without any deal the debt ceiling, the Treasury will state it doesn't have the revenue to pay our obligations, we have 3 basic choices
1) Default on all our debt
The Treasury believes this is the only option, as they can not pick and choose which programs to fund, nor do they have the people necessary to dole out selective payments
Even Fox News has said this will cause a world-wide depression
2) Default on some of our debt
President Obama could take control of the entire federal revenue, and spend it on the programs he fancies, such as keeping Medicaid, Welfare Programs and Debt Interest payments, but ending Defense Contractors and most of the military
This would be a huge grab of executive power, and Obama could basically do whatever he wants
3) Default on none of our debt
Since this decision would come to the President when the Treasury asks him what they should do, he could decline a large executive power grab or a total default, and then use his presidential power to follow the constitution, which states:
Section 4. 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
The Courts have ruled that this provisions applies to all federal debt and obligations
So he would inform the Treasury that the United States will not default on its debts and that they need to pay everything in the last budget passed by the Congress
A Congressman has said if he picks 3, he'll be impeached, would you support impeachment, and convict?
http://forums.offtopic.com/showthread.php?t=4799508
Congressman Asserts Potential 'Impeachable Act'
http://westashley.patch.com/articles/congressman-asserts-potential-impeachable-offense