KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday night passed a bipartisan bill to suspend the debt ceiling, overcoming vocal opposition from conservative and liberal lawmakers and bringing the country one step closer to avoiding an economy-rattling default ahead of next week’s deadline.
The legislation — which was crafted through negotiations between President Biden, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and their designees — cleared the chamber in a bipartisan 314-117 vote and now heads to the Senate, where leaders are hoping for swift consideration as the default deadline looms.
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The Senate could vote on the deal as soon as Thursday or Friday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday.
Several conservative Republican senators have said they won’t hold the bill up as long as they get to vote on amendments.
Missouri’s Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said Wednesday he won’t drag out the Senate debate. However, he already told FOX4’s Washington Bureau he will vote “no” on the deal.
Kansas’ Republican Sen. Roger Marshall also said he cannot support the bill in an interview Thursday morning.
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“It does not address the true problem, which is our $31 trillion national debt,” Marshall said. “At the end of the day, this legislation does minimal to impact that national debt.”
Here’s how Congressional representatives from Missouri and Kansas voted on the deal Wednesday:
Missouri
Rep. Cori Bush (D-1st District)
Bush voted no on the debt ceiling deal Wednesday. Earlier in the day she said as a former SNAP recipient she cannot, in good conscious, take food out of people’s mouths.
The Biden-McCarthy agreement would expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — a longtime Republican priority.
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-2nd District)
Congresswoman Ann Wagner voted in favor of the debt ceiling deal, saying, “Make no mistake, this is the largest spending cut in history, over $2 trillion.
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“The President started by asking for a blank check and new credit card. Speaker McCarthy was able to get him to negotiate a good first step toward getting our spending under control. We now need a Republican Senate and President to take the next steps.”
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-3rd District)
Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer voted yes on the debt ceiling bill, saying House Republicans forced Biden “to accept the largest spending cut in history.”
“We still have a long way to go to get the government’s finances in order, but this bill (the most conservative debt ceiling package Congress has passed in over a decade) is a good step toward achieving that goal,” the Republican said.
Rep. Mark Alford (R-4th District)
The Missouri Congressman voted no on the debt ceiling, saying, “the legislation does not go far enough to cut our debt, rein in federal spending levels, or make sure our military is properly funded for the emerging threat that is Communist China.”
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-5th District)
Hours before the House voted, Cleaver said he would be voting yes on the debt ceiling deal, and he stuck true to that Wednesday. Cleaver told FOX4’s Washington Bureau it would be “selfish” to allow petty personal feelings to allow the United States to default.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-6th District)
Congressman Sam Graves voted in favor of the debt ceiling deal, saying:
“This bill is a step in the right direction. While the Fiscal Responsibility Act includes the largest spending cuts in American history and requires the President to offset the costs of his administrative actions, there’s more wasteful spending that needs to be cut if we want to get this inflation crisis under control.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-7th District)
Representing southeast Missouri, Burlison voted against the debt ceiling deal Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Congressman said “after carefully reviewing the bill text and fielding phone calls from my constituents,” he could not support the bill.
Rep. Jason Smith (R-8th District)
Congressman Jason Smith, who is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, voted in favor of the debt ceiling bill Wednesday.
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“Americans are tired of spending money we don’t have on policies that don’t work. The debt ceiling deal cuts spending, holds the Biden Admin accountable, and makes room for more reforms,” he said.
Kansas
Rep. Tracey Mann (R-1st District)
Rep. Tracey Mann voted no on the debt ceiling deal, saying, “While I commend Republican Leadership for taking a much-needed step and putting forward a plan to rein in out-of-control government spending, I did not vote for the legislation that passed the House today.”
Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-2nd District)
Rep. Jake LaTurner voted in favor of the debt ceiling deal, saying, “Defaulting on our nation’s debt would result in a global financial crisis — crippling 401ks and triggering disastrous implications for families across Kansas.”
Rep. Sharice Davids (D-3rd District)
On Wednesday, Rep. Sharice Davids voted to support the bipartisan agreement.
“Today I voted for a bipartisan agreement to prevent default and save our economy from potential catastrophe,” she said.
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“This deal is not perfect, but compromise from both sides was necessary to reach a final agreement. It accomplishes the core priorities I pushed for: we agreed to pay our bills, we avoided cuts to Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits, and we agreed to move onto a bipartisan path to address our nation’s budgetary challenges without holding our economy hostage.”
Rep. Ron Estes (R-4th District)
Congressman Ron Estes voted in favor of the debt ceiling deal on Wednesday. The day before, the Wichita Republican told the House Rules Committee he supports the bill and is “cutting wasteful spending and promoting economic growth.”
