WASHINGTON (WAVY) – Local congressional members are reacting to the debt ceiling agreement that was passed in the House Wednesday night.
The House passed the bipartisan bill with a 314-117 vote, and now the bill will be brought to the Senate. The bill would suspend the debt deadline until Jan. 1, 2025, and would implement a variety of cost-cutting measures.
Some of these measures include the restarting of student loan repayments and implementing new spending caps over the next two years.
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) said in a statement that she voted in favor of the agreement. She stated in part, “While I wish the bill reversed more wasteful spending and held the Biden administration more accountable, at the end of the day Washington is going to spend less money next year than it is this year, and that is something I am proud to support; therefore, I voted ‘yes’.”
Kiggans made it a point to mention that the bill does not make cuts to veterans’ benefits, social security, or Medicare.
Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) also released a statement after he says he voted against the agreement. Rep. Scott is the only member of Congress representing the Hampton Roads area to vote no on the agreement.
“The United States has never defaulted on our debt, yet it became very clear over the last few months that Republicans were perfectly willing to provoke a global economic calamity that would trigger a job-killing recession and raise costs on working families, simply because Republicans believe it would help them politically,” Rep. Scott said in the statement.
Some concerns Rep. Scott expressed include that the agreement would allow the Mountain Valley Pipeline to move forward, and that it would weaken the National Environment Policy Act.
