Acrimony over budget deal reflected in votes
The acrimony over last week’s bipartisan budget deal between the White House and Congressional leaders was reflected in the votes and explanations from Pennsylvania legislators.
On Wednesday, the Bipartisan Budget Act passed the House 266 to 167 with U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-12, Sewickley, Allegheny County, and U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-18, Upper St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, voting against it and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-9, Hollidaysburg, Blair County, voting in favor of it.
Senators then took up the measure and in the early morning hours Friday passed it 64 to 35 with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, supporting it and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Zionsville, Lehigh County, opposing it.
The two-year deal increases defense and domestic spending by $80 billion and averts the possibility of the nation defaulting on its loans by suspending the debt ceiling limit until March 2017.
Rothfus is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a faction of more conservative members, which was instrumental in backing U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s bid for House Speaker.
After the House voted on the budget deal, Rothfus said it “backtracked” on progress Congress has made on controlling spending and was “negotiated in a secretive manner” that left members with just 36 hours to review it.
“The broken process that resulted in this legislation is precisely the reason why I, and other reform-minded members of Congress like Paul Ryan, have called for change, so that our constituents have true representation in Washington.”
Murphy echoed Rothfus’ tone saying he was “not willing to backtrack on my previous votes to put concrete spending limits in place.” Murphy said he could not support lifting spending caps and adding $80 billion in spending over the next two years.
Shuster, though, said the spending would be offset by cuts and savings. He also said the deal “averts disastrous cuts to our military” and benefits “Pennsylvania’s senior population” by acts on the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund and impending premium increases to Medicare Part B.
“President Obama and Congressional Democrats rarely find a tax increase or spending hike that they do not like,” Shuster said, “yet Congress is passing a budget deal that does not increase spending or taxes, makes meaningful entitlement reforms to protect our seniors while at the same time finding $168 billion in long-term savings in Social Security.”
After the House vote, Toomey said the national debt has skyrocketed with “record levels” of tax money pouring into Washington.
“Clearly we have a serious overspending problem that must be addressed,” he said, charging that the budget deal only increases spending and “allows Washington to continue piling up more red ink.”
Toomey also lamented the “budget gimmicks” such as Congress diverting $1.5 billion in funding for assistance for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes to pay for unspecified “wasteful spending.”
Casey, who has warned that not raising the debt ceiling would lead to economic chaos, said the “sensible budget” averts a government shutdown and “potentially catastrophic debt default.”
The deal “can better fund critical program that educate our children and create jobs with relief from the mindless cutting of the sequester,” Casey said.
“The budget agreement ensures that seniors won’t see a substantial spike in Medicare premiums and that millions of struggling Americans won’t see their social security disability benefits cut.”