FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It's back to work for Congress on Monday as lawmakers return from a fun-filled two week Spring Break.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/04/28/art.clock.jpg caption="The National Debt Clock pictured in Manhattan last week."]
During their time off, some members returned to their districts to hear from constituents, many angry and confused about the budget cuts and deficit reduction plans. Then there are those like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and nine other senators who went on junkets instead to faraway places like China and its city of Macau, that country's closest thing to Las Vegas.
The fun and games will be over next week though. One of the first big battles that awaits this Congress is the question of raising the nation's debt ceiling. The U.S. is expected to reach its current debt limit of $14.3 trillion on May 16th. That's just about two weeks away. If Congress doesn't agree to raise it, we could default on our debt obligations and that would have devastating effects on the markets and this economy. But simply raising it may not be that simple.
House Speaker John Boehner has said he will not agree to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats promise to make meaningful spending cuts to the budget and to reform Medicaid and Medicare.
In a recent interview, Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill under George W. Bush called Republicans who insist on linking a debt ceiling increase to budget cuts quote "our version of al Qaeda terrorists." unquote.
He says the two should not be part of the same debate and the lawmakers who insist on doing that anyway are putting our society at risk.
He might be right. But putting our country at risk has never been that much of an issue for Congress.
Here’s my question to you: How do you see the debt ceiling fight being resolved?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Michael in Alexandria, Virginia:
I see the Biden commission and the Gang of Six being combined into a new fiscal commission, to include enough Republicans to get them to agree to raising the debt ceiling. The new fiscal commission will be well staffed with the task of producing legislative language by a date certain with a fast track vote at the end.
John in Lake Charles, Louisiana:
It will go down to the last possible minute and then the Democrats will give in to Republican demands. So what else is new?
April in Iowa:
I don't see the debt ceiling debate being resolved. I think Republicans are going to refuse to lift the debt ceiling unless they get changes Democrats are unwilling to give. It's all a big game of chicken and the American people are paying the fine. I don't see anything good coming out of this debate but I usually don't see anything positive coming out of Congress anyway.
Jim in Toledo, Ohio:
The Republicans will allow passage. They took a beating over break.
Carl:
Until it affects both corrupt political parties, I don't see it being resolved. We absolutely need a new government. Just my opinion, but I see a revolution in our future. We have to stop these evil and corrupt politicians from destroying our once great country.
Dave:
There really is no choice but to raise the debt ceiling. Not to do so would be a disaster, and make our deficit problems worse. There's not a financial expert alive who thinks allowing the U.S. to default on its debt is a good idea, which is what would happen if the debt ceiling is not raised. Anyone who votes against it is a fool.
R. in Minnesota:
The politicians will raise the roof speaking about it, then raise the ceiling, and the rest of us will hit the floor financially.