Golden votes ‘no’ on Continuing Resolution, citing GOP’s brazen move to abdicate responsibility for national debt

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) tonight voted against a GOP plan to extend government funding for three months while suspending the debt limit for two years. 

“Given that the last time Republicans had control over Congress and the White House, the deficit grew by leaps and bounds each year, I cannot in good conscience vote to give the incoming trifecta a blank check to blow up the national debt,” Golden said. “This Congress must pass either a clean CR to avoid a government shutdown, or pair any suspension of the debt limit with provisions to ensure we take steps to reduce the budget deficit in the new Congress. I voted no with hopes negotiators will go back to the drawing board while we still have time to get this right.”

The current debt-to-GDP ratio is about 98 percent and projected to reach an unsustainable 122 percent within a decade. Congressman Golden has supported increases to the debt limit in the past to address an imminent default crisis, paired with provisions designed to address deficits and prevent future growth in the national debt. The bill put on the floor by the House GOP tonight neither addressed an immediate crisis nor did anything to reduce the debt in the long term. 

“The incoming Republican trifecta will have to address many challenges, from securing our Southern border to preventing tax increases on working families. These priorities will cost money, and their effort to suspend the debt limit for two years is a brazen attempt to avoid any responsibility for ensuring those needs are paid for,” Golden said. 

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