Debt limit increase nears final House vote

The House on Thursday cleared a major hurdle toward passing legislation to boost the debt limit by $1.9 trillion to nearly $14.3 trillion and give pay/go the force of law.

The chamber passed, 217-212, the rule for the measure, which was designed by House Democratic leaders to count as a vote to increase the debt limit. The House must still vote on passing the pay/go provision, after which the package would go to President Obama for his signature.

Republicans charged that House Democratic leaders structured the rule this way to protect their members from having to directly vote on raising the debt limit.

"The majority party has used deceitful procedural games to hide the fact that they are raising the debt limit again for the sixth time since they have taken control of the House. Why, you ask? It's to give their members political coverage and a vote on statutory pay/go again," Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said during debate.

House Rules Chairwoman Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said that using the rule to pass the debt increase was just the "easiest way to get this done."

As the vote approached, House Democratic leaders were scrambling to win enough votes to pass the debt limit increase, according to a Democratic aide.

House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said during debate he intends to vote for future debt limit increases even if Democrats are no longer in the majority as a gesture of putting the nation's need to pay its obligations over politics.

Democrats blamed Republicans for adding to the deficit while they were in charge of Congress and the White House by not paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing drug benefits to seniors, and enacting tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.

"We are in this position because of the policies that have been implemented over the past decade," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. "Ten years ago, we had a budget surplus. Since then our country was attacked and the worst recession in our lifetimes took a severe economic toll on our nation's economy."

"But we also had two wars that were unpaid for, tax cuts -- mostly for the wealthy -- that were unpaid for and a prescription drug benefit that was unpaid for," McGovern said. "Yes, Republicans and Democrats have had to increase the debt limit because of these policies and events, and unfortunately we have to do it again today."

Sessions argued that Democratic spending plans are at fault for the debt limit increase. He highlighted the stimulus package Congress passed last year, which was initially projected to cost $787 billion. But the Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that the package would cost $862 billion due in part to higher-than-expected spending on unemployment insurance and food stamps.

Democratic leaders "took out a monster loan that is not paying off," Sessions said. "The [Democratic] policies are not creating jobs. They are creating debts. They are creating circumstances where this country has to again today borrow ... so our government doesn't go belly-up."

House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said, "There is one easy way to avoid this kind of colossal national debt -- the Democrat majority can stop spending so much taxpayer money."

"Without serious action to rein in spending, these massive levels of debt will continue to dampen our economy and make it even harder for millions of Americans to find decent work," Lewis said.