Update: As expected, the House voted against increasing the debt ceiling, 318-97. No Republicans voted in favor of the increase, but 82 Democrats, including Minnesota’s Collin Peterson, voted against it.
There was a lively debate before the vote, during which Republicans sought to cast increasing the debt limit as the country operating in a way that would be financially impossible for individuals or businesses. Democrats said increasing the limit is the only way for the country to meet spending obligations it has already made.
Dueling statements from the Minnesota delegation illustrated the parties’ differences. Democrat Keith Ellison launched a YouTube video explaining his vote in favor of the bill: “America must continue to pay the debts that we’ve already incurred. We didn’t get to be a world leader by not paying our bills.”
Republican John Kline, on the other hand, said in a statement, “It would be irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without taking dramatic steps to reduce spending and reform the budget process. I will reject any increase in the nation’s debt limit that fails to include the significant spending reductions my Minnesota constituents demand.”
Democrat Tim Walz was one of nine members not to vote. His office told Minnesota Public Radio that he was sick, but he would have voted in favor of raising the debt ceiling.
Peterson’s office did not immediately return calls for comment.
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives will consider — and likely deny — a $2.4 trillion increase to the federal debt limit tonight in the first vote on the controversial measure after more than a month of political posturing on the issue. Republicans, including the bill’s sponsor, largely oppose the measure, and Minnesota’s congressional delegation is split on the issue.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said the United States’ $14.3 trillion debt limit will need to increase before Aug. 2. If it does not, there will be “catastrophic economic circumstances,” and “the government would have to stop, limit or delay payments on a broad range of legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds,” and other programs, according to the Treasury Department.
Tonight’s vote will be on a “clean” debt limit increase, meaning there are no spending reductions attached to the measure, something many Republicans say is necessary before they would support increasing the debt ceiling. Rep. David Camp of California said the vote is meant to fail.
“Let me be clear: I do not support and will not vote for a debt limit increase that does not contain significant spending cuts and budgetary reforms,” he said in a statement about the legislation. “Our current path is unsustainable and unacceptable. We must force Washington to live within its means, and any deal on the debt limit should include real reforms including entitlement programs like Medicare.”
Every one of Minnesota’s Republicans is expected to vote against the measure, but at least some of the state’s Democrats say they support raising the debt limit. Collin Peterson and Tim Walz have said in the past that they support raising the limit. The offices of Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the vote, though both have supported raising the debt ceiling during past votes on the issue.
The debt ceiling has become a frequent target for Republicans on the presidential nomination campaign trail. Tim Pawlenty said over the weekend that Congress should not raise the debt limit without first slashing spending. “And if the Congress moves in that direction … they better get something really good for it. It better be permanent, and it better be structural, like a balanced budget amendment and like permanent caps and limits on spending that are specific, not just aspirational,” he Sunday said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Michele Bachmann, speaking via the Internet to a gathering of Iowa Republicans, said a hard vote against a debt ceiling increase would show that “of all the nations, it’s the United States that’s going to get serious” on fiscal issues.
“We’ve got a perfect opportunity now with this debt ceiling issue to radically cut spending,” Bachmann said. “If we radically cut spending we can get our house in order fairly quickly.”
Devin Henry is an intern in MinnPost’s Washington Bureau.
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