(SitNews) - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced today that the House Republicans just passed the only bill in Washington that lifts the debt limit, ends wasteful Washingon spending and put America back on the right economic path. The plan is to limit the growth in the future, and save by pulling back the unspent COVID money. McCarthy said during a press conference, "We're going to grow this economy by making us energy indepdent again and getting more people, encouraging them back to work. The sad part is the Democrats need to do their job the president can no longer ignore by not negotiating."

A potential debt-ceiling crisis in the United States began unfolding on January 19, 2023, when the United States hit its debt ceiling.

The final vote was 217-215, with four Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Matt Gaetz of Florida – voting against the bill.  The bill will raise the government's #31.4 trillion debt ceiling with sweeping cuts over the next decade.

Full Press Conference April 26, 2023  Speaker McCarthy Holds Press Conference on the Limit, Save, Grow Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go9kfykk5Nk

However, the U.S. Department of Transportation responded in a news release saying the Congressional Republicans are holding the nation’s full faith and credit hostage in an effort to impose devastating cuts that would hurt rural communities, raise costs for hardworking families, and set back economic growth. Last week, House Republicans released their extreme proposal to hold our economy hostage in order to slash funding for programs the American people depend on in their everyday lives—including funding that’s vital for ensuring transportation safety and infrastructure in Alaska. And they are demanding these cuts while separately advancing proposals to add over $3 trillion to deficits through tax cuts and giveaways skewed to the wealthy and big corporations.

Quoting a news release from the USDOT, while the President’s Budget details a plan to make our communities safer and protect workers and consumers, House Republicans’ proposal to cut a broad range of critical programs in Alaska by 22%: 

• Cut 20 Rail Safety Inspections in Alaska. At a time when train derailments are wreaking havoc on community safety, House Republicans’ proposal would lead to 20 fewer rail safety inspection days and 50 fewer miles of track inspected in Alaska next year alone. Since the Norfolk Southern train derailment, bipartisan Senators have called for more rail inspections, not fewer. 

• Jeopardize Air Safety and Increase Airport Security Wait Times. The proposal would shut down services at 4 Contract Air Traffic Control Towers in Alaska, likely also require shut down of additional Federally-staffed facilities, and increase wait times at TSA security check points at large airports across the country by over 2 hours. 
In addition to the devastating impacts these cuts have on priorities from education and veterans medical care, to public safety and food assistance, Congressional Republicans’ plan would also claw back funding designated for critical transportation programs that would cost the country vital resources: 

• Withhold Vital Transportation Infrastructure Funding. Under the House Republican proposal, Alaska would stand to lose nearly $47 million in funding for transit and highway infrastructure projects all across the state.

As of Wednesday evening, U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola, had not released any comments on the passage of this bill. (Bills sponsored - cosponsored)

Congress has increased the debt ceiling 78 times since 1960, 49 of those increases taking place when a Republican was president and the other 29 during a Democratic presidency.

On the Web:

• History of the United States debt ceiling

Posted /Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews


Source of News:

U.S. Dept of Transportation
dot.gov

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy
Press Conference - April 26, 2023

 

 

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