Obama team may soon decide: Who gets checks?

[WI_DEM]

White House spokesman Jay Carney said today that Treasury Department officials may soon have to start discussing plans they hope they never have to carry out.

They may have to decide who will get government checks after Tuesday if the Treasury loses borrowing authority.

"As part of due diligence and responsible governance, they have to make those assessments," Carney said. "At some point closer to Aug. 2, there would be a discussion of that."

Carney said White House officials remain confident that Congress will strike a deal to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling before that happens.

If the government does default, the government will have to make decisions on literally millions of checks.

"Those include veterans' payments, Social Security payments, disability payments," Carney said. "They include the bills to contractors -- small businesses, big businesses -- that did work with the government. ... And choices are going to have to be made.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/obama-still-waiting-on-congress/1

[jtown1123]

1. I read analysis today that said this shouldn't present a problem...interesting

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43899646

[roguevalley]

27. if I was overseas in a war and this happened to me, I would put

down the gun.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Social Security recipients should be second in line only to creditors.

Pay debts, then SS, then everything else.

[RebelOne]

6. I am a Social Security recipient and I believe I should be first

in line along with all the other several million others who receive SS benefits. We all depend upon those checks.

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. The public debt of the US shall not be questioned. n/t

[demodonkey]

8. Great. Pay the rich creditors, and let seniors and disabled people go without food next month.

Millions of very frail and fragile innocent people in this country will be having to make some hard choices come August as well. Really hard choices, with life-or-death consequences.

[Deep13]

3. Social commitments should be paid and not capitalist creditors. nt

[adhd_what_huh]

12. Creditors first so when can borrow to pay SS the next month!

[hugo_from_TN]

21. The constitution does not agree

[Deep13]

28. Specify. nt

[Andy823]

4. Well...

I know some who "SHOULD NOT" get a paycheck, and that's congress! Make all the tea baggers go without pay till something gets done!

[spanone]

5. sounds like the republicans are becoming major job killers

[CupFullOfTruth]

7. My Aug SS direct deposit posted today in my bank acct

Thankfully!

[demodonkey]

10. Well, you're lucky then. My mother's does not come until the 4th, and she's a nervous wreck.

Bad enough at age 93 and after a major stroke she has a medical predator after her, suing for huge bills that we never saw and she should never owe because she had Medicare and supplemental insurance that hospital refused to bill.

Now she has to worry about whether her Social Security is coming or not.

This is just plain wrong on so many levels.

[CupFullOfTruth]

11. "This is just plain wrong on so many levels"

This never should have been hinted at or alluded to by anyone. The most vulnerable were exploited

[Kaleva]

13. Mine is supposed to be depositied on the 9th. I'm not worried about it (yet)

[gateley]

23. Shameful. nt

[dgibby]

19. I don't get mine until around the middle of the month.

Looks like things are going to be really tight. Thankfully, I will get my military retirement before the 2nd.

[Bluebear]

9. White House declares: "I'm the decider!"

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. "Who gets checks?"

How about NOT Congress -- that might motivate a few people.

[Bluebear]

26. Fucking scare tactics

Disgraceful.

[sad sally]

15. No checks for defense contractors or spy agencies - none - either in war zones or

at home. Yeah, I know there are lots of people who work in one of the few manufacturing places left in this country - the weapons industry - but no checks for them.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

17. My SS check is supposed to be directly deposited in my

bank August 3rd. I'm more than a little nervous. I'm terrified.. :mad: :mad:

[Ragrum]

18. Cut DoD's energy

Just learned half of the Federal Deficit is in oil payments, so in light that Dept of Defense uses 80% of federal energy costs kind of puts a big exclamation point on where we should cut spending First!

[Broderick]

20. The first bill they will pay is obviously

going to be to those that contribute to the bilking mechanism of DC, like big business, banks and wall street.

We are so screwed.

[Monique1]

22. I am worried to

SS helps me pay my bills and rent and my friend a disabled vet is also worried. At night I wake up in a panic wondering what I will do. Guess I baetter clean my car out just in case I need to live in it.

[Broderick]

25. I hope it never comes to that with you

You can always pm me and avoid that, but nevertheless, I know where they put their real thoughts at. Re-elections. Power. We are just all pawns.

[Lugnut]

24. Congress critters should get paid last.

Let them make the first sacrifice since they think it's such a great idea.