The "high-stakes game of chicken" has become a cliche headline in a town plagued by partisan paralysis. As we approach the "x" date concerning the debt ceiling, the lazy platitude has a scheduled appearance on your notification screen. But the comparison is incomplete. A game of chicken would imply the two parties hurtling toward each other, with the full faith and credit of the United States at the center.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) led a group of 43 Republican Senators in delivering the letter below to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The letter expresses a collective commitment to oppose raising the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms. Of the letter, Sen. Lee said, “It is now clear that Senate Republicans aren’t going to bail out Biden and Schumer, they have to negotiate. I thank my colleagues for joining my effort to emphasize this point in the clearest possible terms.”