WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House has passed legislation conditioning a $2.4 trillion increase in the nation's borrowing cap on a tea party-backed plan to require immediate spending cuts and a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.
The 234-190 vote sends the "cut, cap and balance" plan to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it has virtually no chance of passing.
With the House tally cast, attention is returning to efforts in the Senate to provide President Barack Obama authority to impose an increase in the debt limit without approval by Congress and on a new Senate "Gang of Six" proposal to cut the deficit by almost $4 trillion over the coming decade.
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-VA) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 2560:
“Today’s vote was another action taken by the House to get our fiscal house in order to help grow the economy and create jobs for 5th District Virginians.
If we are serious about putting an end to the reckless government spending that has led to a $14 trillion debt, a $1.5 trillion deficit, and crippling economic uncertainty, we need to put in place both short and long term institutional spending reforms to change the culture in Washington and force the federal government to live within its means."
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement this evening after voting against the bill:
“I support the general goal of cut, cap, and balance, and I appreciate House leadership bringing this concept to the floor for a vote. However, to keep my commitments made to my constituents, I cannot support raising the debt ceiling without significant cuts and a substantial change to the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars. The Balanced Budget Amendment, if passed by the House and Senate and then by the States, would substantially change the way Washington spends money, but I have repeatedly stated that year one cuts must be more than $100-200 billion."
