By FITSNews || A day after President Barack Obama spoke of “freezing” federal spending, Democrats in the U.S. Senate sent a vastly different message to the American people – voting along party lines to raise the nation’s debt limit to an unprecedented $14.3 trillion.
That’s a $1.9 trillion increase – the largest ever – and it comes less than a year after Congress raised the federal debt limit by nearly $800 billion as a little-known component of Obama’s so-called “stimulus.” Another smaller increase in the debt ceiling was approved just last month.
Also, this increase is meant only to fulfill current spending obligations through the November elections.
“We are mortgaging our children and grandchildren’s future on a failed far-left agenda that is growing government while killing jobs across America,” Sen. Jim DeMint said in voting against the hike. “Instead of more wasteful stimulus spending and higher taxes, we should cut spending and enact broad-based tax cuts for all Americans to spur investment and job creation. If we continue to recklessly borrow money from China and the Middle East, it will lead to inflation, higher interest rates and higher taxes that will cripple our economy in the future.”
The vote was 60-39 in favor of raising the limit.
We’ve written about the debt ceiling in the past, but this is the best evidence yet that any rhetoric about fiscal responsibility coming from the leftists currently running our country is just that … rhetoric.
Obviously, anybody with half a brain knew Obama’s “freeze” was nothing but hot air, but this should make it crystal clear.
By vicupstate January 28, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I remember in 1981 when the Congress raised the debt ceiling right after the GOP took control of the Senate for the first time since 1954, and Reagan had just taken the oath of office. Howard Baker told the GOP senators, who had never previously voted yes, that they were in control now, and had to govern, not just throw rhetorical bombs.
Raising the debt ceiling is just a formality that the ruling party has to do, no matter how distasteful. To not do so, would shut down the government. That didn’t work too well for the GOP in 1995.
Spending needs to be brought under control, but you can’t simply stop spending money altogether.
By CNSYD January 28, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Events are not as simplistic as they seem. The debt ceiling had to be raised in order to pay for expenses that had been previously authorized and appropriated. It is apples and oranges to connect future cuts with present debt ceiling increases. The party currently in power does not bear sole responsibility for all present expenses. Yes they have some culpability but both parties have pushed through the programs and wars for which the bills are now due. Votes such as these do provide master grandstanders such as Deminited to have sound bites. He KNEW this measure would pass but he could not bypass the grandstand.
By Pat Hendrix January 28, 2010 at 6:05 pm
40 percent of the stimulus was tax cuts, Jimbo. The backloaded Bush tax cuts also account for an enormous gap in the books. Hey, let’s have a few more. That should solve the debt problem.
God that dude is stupid. Not dishonest, stupid. And by all means, don’t get between Demint and a camera. You’ll get trampled.
By madcock January 28, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Hey you HYPOCRITICAL mofo, did you criticize the Repubs for raising the debt limit seven times during the Dubya administration?
Next you’ll be criticizig Dems for committing domestic violence.
By Liberty For Me January 28, 2010 at 10:53 pm
All the socialists are right….once your at 12 trillion,what the hell difference is there to 14 trillion?? Neither one is a goal to ever be reached to repay.
The great part of this is that the best way to save our freedom is to wait for them to break the bank and default on the whole thing…
But we must be able to take them on and return liberty when the opportunity arises.
By Ducky January 29, 2010 at 1:06 am
Blame Bush for O’Bummer’s complete failures…
yada,yada,yada…
It’s been a year, with a filibuster proof majority …
If he wanted to fix it, it would be done already…
It’s all O’Bozo’s fault now, and he should “Man Up” and take responsibility!
By Rick January 29, 2010 at 7:36 am
Funny thing about debt, it’s not the money you save, its the money you spend….stop spending and you don’t have to raise the debt ceiling….
By CNSYD January 29, 2010 at 9:50 am
Oh that life were as simple as you simpletons want to make it. Ever heard of a balance sheet? Have you ever seen one for the US that lists ASSETS as well as liabilities? No, because one has not been produced. What Fortune 500 company has NO liabilities?
Ducky, how much is being spent per day in Iraq and Afganistan? Wasn’t that inherited? Bet Obama quickly found out that backing out is a lot harder than going in.
LFM, who is most of this debt owed to? Would you not sleep at night if we stiffed China and the Arabs? Remember there are only two types of countries in the world. Those whose ass we saved and those whose ass we beat. So we will just call it even.
By Vatar January 31, 2010 at 1:39 am
Is there some reason that Senator Kirk (D-MA) continues to vote? Hasn’t he been replaced by Senator Brown (R-MA)?