Five Tennessee U.S. Representatives voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act on Wednesday.
The bill, 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.
The bill passed the House by a 314-117 vote. A total of 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats voted in opposition to the bill.
Tennessee Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), and John Rose (R-TN-06) all voted against the bill, citing its failure to address the government’s “out-of-control spending.”
I am voting NO on passing down trillions more in debt to our children and grandchildren while giving Democrats a blank check to pay for their radical agenda, including the weaponization of federal agencies.
Its time to get our fiscal house in order and rein in wasteful spending
— Rep. Diana Harshbarger (@RepHarshbarger) May 30, 2023
“I am voting NO on passing down trillions more in debt to our children and grandchildren while giving Democrats a blank check to pay for their radical agenda, including the weaponization of federal agencies,” Congresswoman Harshbarger said in a statement. “It’s time to get our fiscal house in order and rein in wasteful spending.”
Reiterating his ‘no’ vote on the bill, Congressman Ogles added, “The American People deserve better than another DC swamp deal that does very little to address the rapidly growing albatross of our national debt.”
We need real fiscal responsibility, not more progressive agenda spending. pic.twitter.com/qig0nAgOXn
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 31, 2023
Ogles added, “We cannot continue to write blank checks to fund Washington special interests. House Republicans have a responsibility as the most direct representation of the People to fight back against the Left’s out-of-control spending and restore fiscal responsibility. We cannot continue to strap future generations of Americans with crippling debt.”
Congressman Burchett, who was one of the five Republicans in the House to vote against the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 in April, reaffirmed his commitment to voting against any bill that raised the debt ceiling.
I voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would suspend the debt ceiling through 2024. Read my full statement below: pic.twitter.com/b2o8yyIKEw
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) June 1, 2023
“I voted against the last bill to raise the debt ceiling, and this one is a lot worse. It still runs a deficit and doesn’t do nearly enough to address the out-of-control spending that got us into this mess in the first place,” Burchett stated. “East Tennesseans could see it too. My constituents have been calling me about this, and the overwhelming majority told me not to vote for it. I chose to listen to them and follow my conscience on this one.”
Tennessee U.S. Rep John Rose (R-TN-06) also opposed the measure. “I came to Congress to stop Washington’s reckless and out-of-control spending of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars,” he said in a statement late Wednesday.
“The time to do this isn’t tomorrow, next year, or next Congress—it’s now. This bill continues the spending addiction of Washington Democrats by essentially giving them the blank check they crave and saddles our children with even more debt. The people I represent overwhelmingly asked that I oppose the bill. I could not in good conscience support this legislation.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Background image “House Floor Vote” by C-Span.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect Rep John Rose’s vote in opposition to the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
