Opposites Agree On Opposing Debt Deal, But For Different Reasons

All of the 5th District’s federal representatives voted this week against the compromise bill to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and prevent a government default. The votes find conservative Congressman Scott Garrett aligned with liberal Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, although their reasons for opposition to the bill, much like their politics, remain polar opposites.

Lautenberg and Menendez joined four Democratic colleagues in the U.S. Senate in opposition to the bipartisan deal, which was approved by a 74-26 margin on Aug. 2. Garrett was one of 66 Republicans voting against the controversial bill when it was passed by the House of Representatives 269-161 on Aug. 1.

Garrett, who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the deal did not contain a sufficient amount of spending cuts, threatened tax hikes, and did not address the “exploding” cost of entitlement programs.

“While a step in the right direction, this is hardly the resolution I was hoping to come out of this process,” he said. “The American people wanted to see us come up with an actual solution to address our deficit and debt crisis, not another ‘deal’ rushed through Congress at the last minute.”

Garrett said the only solution for the nation’s debt and deficit problems was the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

“Above all else, I am most disappointed in the lack of commitment on the part of negotiators to seeing that a balanced budget amendment was sent to the states for ratification,” he noted.

While Garrett said the budget reductions were not large enough, Lautenberg and Menendez said the spending cuts were too big and a burden for working families.

“This legislation was a shakedown, not a compromise,” Lautenberg said.  “Our debt ceiling had to be raised — as was done 18 times under President Reagan and seven times under President George W. Bush — but it shouldn’t be done in a way that diminishes access to education and health care, a cleaner environment, or homeland security.

“We must continue to work to reduce our deficits, but countries, like buildings, cannot be built from the top down without injuring the hope and morale of their people and destabilizing the strength of their foundations,” he added. 

“There is no balance in this agreement, no compromise. It simply does not force shared sacrifice as the American people have demanded. There is no fairness,” Menendez stated. “I cannot in good conscience support a plan where soldiers, seniors, students, and working families must endure trillions in cuts, while oil companies, billionaires, and corporate jet owners are not asked to pay their fair share.”

President Obama signed the bill into law on Tuesday.