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New Paltz, NY – In the end, a vote to raise the nation's debt ceiling passed through the House in an overwhelming fashion, but as WAMC's Greg Fry reports, a majority of this region's representatives see plenty wrong with the compromise...
New York's Congressional delegation was split down the middle. North Country Congressman Bill Owens voted yes, calling it an "unnecessarily ugly process," while adding that it helps avoid a "catastrophic default." Freshman Congressman Chris Gibson backed the House bill, saying that a "no" vote would've demonstrated an unwillingness to compromise. Gibson's fellow freshman colleague, Nan Hayworth, also voted in favor of the measure. She says it is historic to raise the debt ceiling, while instituting a process to constrain the federal budget, and ultimately balance it.
Central New York Congressman Richard Hanna, and lower Hudson Valley Congresswoman Nita Lowey, both backed the bill. Capital Region Congressman Paul Tonko voted "no," calling it a job-destroying plan, which asks for sacrifices from the middle-class, while protecting tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Downstate New York Congressman Eliot Engel agrees with that assessment. Engel says loopholes were not closed for corporations who avoided taxes.
Hudson Valley Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who is recovering from cancer surgery last month, did not vote on the measure, but released a statement saying he did not support it. Three of the five members of Connecticut's Congressional delegation voted no, including Congressman Chris Murphy. Massachusetts representatives John Olver and Richard Neal were both no's. Olver, speaking on the House floor, said one political party has never held the nation's debt limit hostage. He says calls for massive cuts without raising revenues are irresponsible at least, and deliberative destructive at worst.
Vermont Congressman Peter Welch says the plan was not balanced, and does not include shared sacrifice. He went on to say that he voted against the bill because it validates the tactic of putting a gun to the head of the American economy to advance a party's agenda. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders seconded the call for shared sacrifice in any deficit reduction plan. Sanders called it a bad and unfair proposal, and said lawmakers must do better.
The package passed with 269 yes votes. 162 House members voted no.