Debt deal, hurricane aid signed into law
WASHINGTON — Congress on Friday sent President Donald Trump a massive package of $15.3 billion in disaster aid linked to an increase in the nation’s borrowing authority that angered conservative Republicans who hissed and booed senior administration officials dispatched to Capitol Hill to defend it.
Hours later, Trump signed the measure into law.
The House voted 316-90 for the measure that would refill depleted emergency accounts as Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Irma and Texas picks up the pieces after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. All 90 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans, many of whom seethed after Trump cut the disaster-and-debt deal with Democratic leaders with no offsetting budget cuts.
“If we are going to allow the federal credit-card limit to be extended beyond the $20 trillion that is already owed, there has to be some spending restraint tied to it,” said Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Urbana, who voted against the legislation, along with Mike Turner of Dayton. “I am pushing Congress to enact real spending caps in exchange for a debt ceiling increase, because despite what some in Washington think, the uncontrolled borrowing cannot continue forever.”
The aid measure is just the first installment in government spending that could rival or exceed the $110 billion federal response after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The legislation also funds the government through Dec. 8.
In a closed-door meeting before the vote, more than a dozen Republicans stood up and complained about Trump cutting a deal with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi instead of GOP leaders trying to deliver on the president’s agenda.
Budget chief Mick Mulvaney, a former tea party congressman from South Carolina who took a hard
line against debt increases during his House tenure, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin faced a rough time in pleading for votes.
Mnuchin elicited hisses when he urged House Republicans to “vote for the debt ceiling for me,” said Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C.
Republicans were in disbelief after Mnuchin argued that the debt ceiling shouldn’t be a political issue in the future, said Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C.
Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., described how Mnuchin, a former Democratic donor, and Mulvaney pressed Republicans to rally around the legislation.
“It’s kind of like ‘Where am I? What’s going on here?’” Costello said of the surreal scene.
Mulvaney was booed when he stepped to the microphone, though lawmakers said it was good-natured. He defended the deal and Trump.
“It was absolutely the right thing to do,” Mulvaney said afterward. “The president is a results-driven person, and right now he wants to see results on Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma and tax reform. He saw an opportunity to work with Democrats on this particular issue at this particular time.”
Fiscal conservatives have clamored for deep cuts in spending in exchange for any increase in the government’s borrowing authority.
Ohio Republicans Pat Tiberi of Genoa Township, Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, Bob Gibbs of Lakeville and Bill Johnson were among the 133 Republicans to vote for the package, while Joyce Beatty of Jefferson Township joined 181 other Democrats in supporting the bill.
Olivia Hnat, a Tiberi spokeswoman, said “it was urgent that Congress provide additional disaster resources and aid for FEMA.”
“With respect to funding the government and lifting the debt ceiling, the congressman hopes to see a longer term fix in December that puts the government on a more secure and sustainable fiscal path,” Hnat said.
Stivers said he has “always voted to keep our government running, because it is one of our primary responsibilities.”
Johnson said “getting relief to ravaged communities should not be a political football.”