Rep. Rosendale to vote against $4 trillion debt ceiling deal

Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale said Sunday that he would vote against the deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, calling it an “insult” to Americans.

With days to spare before a potential first-ever government default, the Montana Rep. signaled he would not be in favor of the “Fiscal Responsibility Act,” which he referred to as the “Fiscal Irresponsibility Act.”

“The DC Swamp has proposed the largest debt ceiling increase in our nation’s history, adding $4 trillion to the existing $31 trillion national debt,” Rosendale said in a statement. “The Fiscal Irresponsibility Act fails to cut spending and continues to fund the Democrats’ and Biden Administration’s radical agenda.” 

“It is frankly an insult to the American people to support a piece of legislation that continues to put our country’s financial future at risk,” he added.

The House released the 99-page deal Sunday evening as President Biden and House Speak Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) attempted to gain backing from the political middle.

Biden urged both parties in Congress to come together for swift passage, even as the compromise includes spending cuts that will likely anger some lawmakers.

Rosendale is the first House Republican to openly admit that he will vote against the “Fiscal Responsibility Act.”

“Montanans did not send me to Washington to support business as usual, which is why I will be voting AGAINST the Fiscal Irresponsibility Act,” Rosendale said in his statement.

Rosendale voted in favor of the initial Republican debt ceiling proposal, which passed the House of Representatives on April 26, according to Fox News Digital.

According to the lawmaker, that bill was written to “create economic growth while minimizing the damaging inflationary consequences of reckless spending.”

He also teamed up with his Republican colleagues to write a letter to McCarthy to maintain core elements of the bill amid negotiations with Biden.

“The United States is $31 trillion in debt – the House Republican plan is a great start to addressing this crisis,” he said in April after HR 2811 cleared the House. “For far too long, Congress has been kicking the can down the road and allowing deficit spending to spiral out of control.”

“This comprehensive plan will fund the federal government responsibly and remove barriers to growing the economy while protecting Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits. The spending habits of Washington politicians and bureaucrats must change to secure our nation’s financial future,” he said at the time.

The House will vote on the deal Wednesday, ahead of the June 5 cut-off date provided by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who said after that, the US could default on its debt obligations.