Dem who voted against GOP’s debt ceiling increase wants to block Congress’ pay until it raises debt limit

Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger wants to deny pay to members of Congress until they increase the debt ceiling, after voting against the Republican-led effort to increase the debt limit and reduce government spending.

“As we quickly approach a default, Congress is failing to protect seniors, servicemembers, Veterans, and all Americans who would be impacted by a default,” Spanberger said in a Friday letter to the House administrator in charge of payroll. 

Despite being constrained by congressional rules and the Constitution, Spanberger requested House administrators “prepare to withhold Members of Congress’ pay until Congress passes, and the President signs, legislation to raise the debt ceiling and pay our country’s bill.”

Spanberger argued that elected representatives should not receive pay if they damage the economy and harm American workers by failing to increase the federal government’s borrowing limit.

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“If the American people and the American economy are suffering as a result of congressional inaction, then Members of Congress should not be rewarded with their pay. At this moment, hyper-partisanship in Congress is jeopardizing the economic strength and security of our country, the stability of global markets, and the world’s faith in the credit of the United States of America,” Spanberger wrote.

The House narrowly passed a bill to raise the debt limit and avoid any default while also cutting spending, but Spanberger and every Democratic representative voted against the measure. President Biden is against the bill’s spending reductions, and the Democrat-controlled Senate has not scheduled a vote on it.

Spanberger argued that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s The Limit, Save and Grow Act which passed April 26 would damage the government’s ability to confront drug cartels at the southern border, already under strain from an influx of illegal immigrants following the expiration of Title 42. 

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“Speaker McCarthy’s plan is not a smart strategy when fentanyl and other illicit drugs are killing more Americans each and every day,” Spanberger said, highlighting Department of Homeland Security projections that the cuts in the GOP’s debt ceiling bill would lead to reductions for border patrol.

McCarthy has blamed Biden for backing away from the negotiating table on the debt ceiling since the GOP passed their proposal. 

Congressional leaders were scheduled to meet with Biden Friday, but that meeting was pushed until next week. McCarthy said the delay is because the White House isn’t budging.

“I have not seen from there a seriousness of the White House that they want a deal,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday. “It seems like they want a default more than they want a deal.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has urged Congress to raise the borrowing limit by June or risk the government, when she anticipates the “extraordinary measures” implemented in January will run out.

Congress last raised the debt ceiling in December 2021 to a total of $31.4 trillion.

Fox News’ Peter Kasperowicz and Elizabeth Elkind contributed reporting.