Whether or not President Obama has a viable remedy is one thing. But it looks pretty clear now that what congressional Republicans are threatening to do — not honor the national debt — violates the 14th Amendment. The plain words of the text as well as the legislative history/original intent was designed to prevent a runaway Congress from threatening to repudiate the national debt, which is what Boehner and co. are threatening to do.

You can say, well, they’re not really threatening to repudiate the national debt … just kinda not pay for a while. Who knows how long? But that’s what it is. “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned.”