President Obama says the American people are with him on the need to raise the debt ceiling so that the U.S. can pay its bills.
Congressional Republican leaders — who want the president to agree to spending cuts before they go along with raising the debt ceiling — say the American people are with them.
“They [Republican leaders] will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the American economy,” Obama said at a press conference on Monday, according to the New York Times. “The financial well-being of the American people is not leverage to be used. The full faith and credit of the United States of America is not a bargaining chip.”
House Speaker John A. Boehner said after Obama's press conference: “The American people do not support raising the debt ceiling without reducing government spending at the same time. The consequences of failing to increase the debt ceiling are real, but so, too, are the consequences of allowing our spending problem to go unresolved.”
So where do you stand? Take our poll and tell us in the comments.