Democrats Insisted On A Clean Debt Limit Vote, But With Approval
Of The President’s Handling Of The Debt Falling, They Scatter When They Finally
Get Their Chance
Clean
Debt Limit Vote Fails 97-318, With 82 Democrats Voting Against The Measure. (H.R. 1954, R 0-236;
D 97-82; 5/31/11)
114
HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAD INSISTED ON A CLEAN DEBT LIMIT VOTE
114
House Democrats, A Majority Of Their Caucus, Signed A Letter Endorsing A Clean
Debt Limit Vote.
“With that in mind, Welch last month spearheaded a letter urging Democratic
leaders to unite behind a clean debt-limit bill. It was endorsed by 114
Democrats. The potential economic fallout of flirting with default, he warned,
is too serious to saddle the debt-ceiling vote with politically charged budget
conditions.” (Mike
Lillis, “Rep. Welch: Partisan Division Begs Clean Vote To Raise Nation’s Debt
Ceiling,” The Hill, 5/5/11)
In
Regards To A Clean Debt Limit Vote, Democrat Whip Steny
Hoyer (D-MD) Said, “I’d Vote For That.” “Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
(D-Md.) said Monday that voting against a clean measure would be ‘holding
hostage the credit of the United States.’ ‘Well, when Mr. Cantor says it
doesn’t have enough support, Mr. Welch has 114, of which I’m not one — I would
vote for that,’ Hoyer said, referring to Vermont Rep. Peter Welch’s coalition
of Democrats calling for a clean vote.” (Jake Sherman, “GOP Floats Test Vote On
Debt Ceiling,” Politico,
5/3/11
Rep.
James Clyburn (D-SC) Prefers A Clean Debt Limit Vote.
“Clyburn, (D., S.C.), the assistant Democratic leader in the House and a member
of the bipartisan group of lawmakers, said his preference is for lawmakers not
to ‘couple’ a vote to raise the federal debt limit with other long-term issues,
like tax reform or deficit reduction, that could take too long to finalize.” (Andrew
Ackerman, “Rep. Clyburn: Aim For Debt Limit Increase By Third Week of July,” Dow Jones
Newswires, 5/16/11)
TONIGHT’S
VOTE IS A REBUKE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHO HAS INSISTED ON A CLEAN DEBT LIMIT
VOTE WITHOUT ANY SPENDING CONTROLS
President
Obama Continues To Prefer A Clean Debt Limit Vote. “White House
officials maintained Friday that the administration wants to see a ‘clean’
increase to the federal debt limit, despite President Obama saying it will
likely be paired with spending cuts. The administration has maintained for
months that Congress should not attach other provisions to a vote to increase
the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, which it expects to hit in mid-May.” (Peter Schroeder,
“White House: Obama Hasn’t Cahgned On ‘Clean’ Debt Vote,” The Hill’s “On The
Money”, 4/15/11)
White
House Press Secretary Jay Carney Says It Is “Imperative” That The Debt Limit
Not Be Tied To “Any Other Action.” “However, when asked about the
president's comment, White House press secretary Jay Carney said it is
‘imperative’ that a debt-limit vote not be ‘held hostage to any other action,
because of the consequences of not raising the debt ceiling.’" (Peter Schroeder,
“White House: Obama Hasn’t Cahgned On ‘Clean’ Debt Vote,” The Hill’s “On The
Money”, 4/15/11)
OMB
Director Jacob Lew Insists That The Debt Limit Be Passed “As A Clean,
Standalone Bill.” “Jack
Lew, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, struck a similar tone
in an interview airing this weekend. ‘Our very strong view is that the debt
limit should be passed as a clean, standalone bill,’ he said in an interview
with Bloomberg TV's ‘Political Capital With Al Hunt.’” (Peter Schroeder,
“White House: Obama Hasn’t Cahgned On ‘Clean’ Debt Vote,” The Hill’s “On The
Money”, 4/15/11)
Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner Has Called For A Clean Debt Limit Vote By July. “Treasury Secretary
Timothy Geithner said Tuesday he wanted a vote to raise the $14.294 trillion
debt ceiling ‘done and clean’ by July, weeks before the government could
potentially default on its debts on Aug. 2.” (Damian Paletta, “Geithner Wants Debt
Ceiling “Done And Clean” By July,” The Wall Street Journal,
5/17/11)
THE
PUBLIC IS FIRMLY AGAINST GIVING PRESIDENT OBAMA ANOTHER BLANK CHECK TO CONTINUE
HIS RECKLESS SPENDING
Politifact: Barack Obama Is
“The Undisputed Debt King Of The Last Five Presidents.” “So by this
measurement -- potentially a more important one -- Obama is the undisputed debt
king of the last five presidents, rather than the guy who added a piddling
amount to the debt, as Pelosi’s chart suggested.” (“Nancy Pelosi Post
Questionable Chart On Debt Accumulation By Barack Obama, Predecessors,” Politifact, 5/19/11) Gallup Poll: By A
Two-To-One Margin, Voters Oppose Raising The Debt Ceiling. “By a 47% to 19%
margin, Americans say they would want their member of Congress to vote against
raising the U.S. debt ceiling, while 34% don't know enough to say.” (Dennis Jacobs,
“Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% To 19%,” Gallup, 5/13/11)
- Gallup: Independents Oppose Raising The Debt Ceiling By A 46 Percent To 15 Percent Margin. “Republicans oppose raising the debt ceiling by 70% to 8% and independents by 46% to 15%. Democrats favor raising the ceiling by 33% to 26%.” (Dennis Jacobs, “Americans Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling, 47% To 19%,” Gallup, 5/13/11)
- Source: Republican National Committee Research, www.gop.com
