Schumer threatens 14th Amendment solution for 'next round' of debt-ceiling talks

A leading Senate Democrat on Thursday raised the possibility of using the so-called "14th Amendment solution" in future debt-ceiling debates.

Although the White House has dismissed the idea of attempting to use this constitutional means to bypass congressional approval of raising the debt ceiling, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was not so quick to dismiss the possibility.

It's "a relatively new argument" that merits exploration, Schumer said.

Some constitutional analysts have suggested that the 14th Amendment makes it illegal for the United States to default on its debt, giving the president the power to extend the Treasury Department's borrowing authority without congressional approval.

The amendment reads, in part, that “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law ... shall not be questioned.”

Schumer took a long view of the deficit debate, leaving open the possibility of needing a 14th Amendment solution in the future.

"It's something that should be explored for later debt-ceiling raises that we will have to do down the road," he said, speaking to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell.

"It is premature to use it for this round of raising the debt ceiling," he said. "God forbid the courts would throw it out if the president went ahead and did it."

According to White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday, the White House lawyers have no plans to look into the legality of using the 14th Amendment as grounds to extend the Treasury's borrowing authority.

On Wednesday, the president answered a question about the 14th Amendment by saying he didn't want to get into the constitutionality of the idea.