Washington, N.Y. -- A bill to raise the nation's debt limit cleared the House of Representatives on Monday. The final tally was 269 to 161; the vote was bipartisan.
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D) voted against it. She said, "We should have had a clean vote on the debt ceiling. Instead, we have created a dummy committee and while it does its work, it will keep the economy in a constant state of turmoil."
Rep. Tom Reed (R) voted in favor of the bill. He said, "This act is not perfect. However, it is a significant step forward toward changing the borrowing and spending culture of Washington. This act finally makes the government accountable to the people. It will force us to cut up the national credit card.”
Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) also voted in favor of the bill. She said, "While this bill was far from perfect, it does make certain that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans benefits are all exempt from beneficiary cuts, and that the promises made to America’s seniors, veterans and middle-class families are not affected."
Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R) voted against the bill. She said, "There were some good aspects to the bill, but this version also creates several new problems. At the end of the day, I was not satisfied that all my questions and concerns had been answered as to potential negative effects of this bill on the people in my district."
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday at noon.
