The Alabama House congressional delegation was split Wednesday on the debt ceiling agreement negotiated by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.
The “Fiscal Responsibility Act” passed the House late Wednesday night by a vote of 314-117, with more Democrats than Republicans supporting the measure. The bill would suspend the debt ceiling through 2025, if approved by the Senate and signed by the president.
U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), and Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) voted with the majority, while Reps. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Dale Strong (R-Huntsville), and Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) voted against the deal.
Moore blasted the deal before his no vote because he believes it will still add $4 trillion to the national debt.
I will be voting NO on the debt limit legislation. As our national debt approaches $32 trillion, we simply cannot afford to add another $4 trillion and kick the can down the road at the expense of our children and grandchildren.
— Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) May 31, 2023
“The so-called ‘Fiscal Responsibility Act’ promises to saddle Americans with $4 trillion in new debt and kick the can down the road for two more years,” Moore said. “This is a massive disappointment and a far cry from what Republicans passed in the Limit, Save, Grow Act. We must stand up to the Biden Administration and make stronger reforms if we want to protect our children and grandchildren from generations of burdensome debt.”
Strong said he couldn’t support the bill because it doesn’t do enough to address the spending problem in Washington, D.C.
— Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) June 1, 2023
“While this deal has some good pieces, it isn’t close to being whole,” Strong said. “I believe that conservatives could have gotten more in exchange for suspending Biden’s debt ceiling for two years. We must put America first — and for that reason, I could not support this bill.”
Aderholt said the bill isn’t perfect, but was worth supporting given the current makeup of Congress.
“With the circumstances that we find ourselves in with a divided government, I think this agreement not only reflects the reality of the situation, it is a step in the right direction,” Aderholt said. “If Republicans were in control of the Senate and the White House, then I would certainly expect more – more cuts to domestic spending, more funding for our national defense, more restraint on the debt ceiling in the future. However, under this bill, we will, for the first time in our nation’s history, spend less money that we did the previous year. It will lead us to smaller government and more prosperity.
“We all know that this agreement is not perfect, but let’s be clear: Republicans will not stop here in our ongoing fight for fiscal accountability.”
Carl said he voted yes because he believes it’s a “very good first step.”
Today I voted for the largest deficit reduction and spending cut Congress has ever voted on.
There’s a lot more work to do, but this bill is a very good first step to get our country back on track and get our runaway spending under control.
— Rep. Jerry Carl (@RepJerryCarl) June 1, 2023
As the lone Democratic member of the House congressional delegation, Sewell said it was necessary to support the deal because “it prevents a devastating default.”
I’m voting yes on the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. It is far from perfect, but it prevents a devastating default and protects against cruel Republican cuts.
It’s time to move on from this Republican-manufactured crisis and get back to doing the people’s work! pic.twitter.com/xz0xVjmgSk
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) June 1, 2023
The bill now heads to the Senate where Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) said he will oppose the measure. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) said her team is still reviewing the legislation.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
