Collins Votes “No” on Latest Debt Deal

The House of Representatives today passed a bill to extend the Government’s spending ability until May. One of the provisions of the bill, though, is to suspend lawmakers’ pay if they’re unable to pass a budget by April.

In a statement today, Freshman Ninth District Congressman Doug Collins said he applauded the House Leadership for the bill, but said he couldn’t vote for it.

“I wish I could have voted yes to the things in this bill I did support,“

he said, adding,

“but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way and I had to vote on the bill in its entirety. Before I walked the halls of Congress, I told the 9th District that I would not support increasing our nation’s debt limit without addressing spending. This afternoon, I stood behind that promise. Now it’s up to Senate Democrats to get their act together and finally do something the American people haven’t seen in a long time — the passage of a federal budget.”

Conversely, though, earlier today Collins’ colleague and former Ninth District Congressman Tom Graves (GA-14) issued a press release confirming his “yes” vote on the deal. For Graves, the bill is a way to hold the Senate accountable, emphasizing the “no-budget-no-pay” provision.

“If the Senate again fails to pass a budget, they will have their pay withheld,”

Graves said,

“No budget, no pay. The American people expect and deserve that kind of accountability.”

The bill passed 285-144.