Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) voted against the debt ceiling bill that passed through the U.S. Senate in a 63 to 36 vote late Thursday night.
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) did not cast a recorded vote.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday night.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act, negotiated between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) over the weekend, provides for a $4 trillion increase in the federal debt limit and suspends the federal debt limit until January of 2025, among other policy changes.
The bill passed the House by a 314-117 vote. Seventy-one Republicans and 46 Democrats voted in opposition to the bill.
On Thursday, Senate lawmakers agreed to debate up to 11 amendments and then vote on passing the legislation to avoid default.
Here is my statement on the debt ceiling bill:https://t.co/jICeWKo8qH
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) June 2, 2023
In a statement, Blackburn explained her “no” vote on the bill, saying, “Joe Biden’s offer was a debt ceiling increase with new taxes and without spending cuts, and I commend Speaker McCarthy for fighting back against Biden’s blank check agenda. No one wants the government to default on our debt, however, I do not believe that the final deal will put enough restraints on Biden’s wasteful spending and government overreach.”
Blackburn continued, “This deal also does nothing to stop 87,000 IRS agents from harassing hard working Americans. Furthermore, we should invest in a strong military at a rate that ensures we are fully equipped to take on the Chinese Communist Party.”
“Our children and grandchildren cannot afford the insurmountable debt we are on track to leave them. Each Congress, I introduce 1%, 2%, and 5% across-the-board spending cuts to non-defense agencies, and the Biden administration would be wise to adopt my plan to get our fiscal house in order,” Blackburn said.
Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) has also expressed “deep concern” on the bill, telling Fox News on Sunday, “There are some positive reforms, as I understand it, in terms of permitting—things that will actually help get our economy restarted. But we also need to take into account the fact that we are at the precipice of a debt shutdown.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
If Mr. Hagerty cannot make it to a vote as important as this, he should be replaced.
Where was Hagerty when the vote was taken? MIA?
Thank you, Marsha for getting something right.