Both Republican Senators from Mississippi opposed the initial attempt by Democrats to raise the debt ceiling.
On Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Democrats had reached an agreement with Republicans on a continuing resolution to fund the federal government and they will vote on stop-gap measure on Thursday.
“We are ready to move forward,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “We have an agreement on… the continuing resolution, to prevent a government shutdown and we should be voting on that tomorrow morning.”
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats will introduce continuing resolution that keeps the government open until early December. pic.twitter.com/2iqIUyVeKf
— Forbes (@Forbes) September 29, 2021
Schumer said that in order to prevent a government shut down, Senate Democrats will be introducing a continuing resolution that keeps the government open until early December.
Though the Senate’s resolution does not include the debt limit increase, it will include money for the resettlement of Afghan refugees and disaster aid for Hurricane Ida victims. Schumer explained that alongside temporarily delaying a government shutdown, the legislation would also be provide long sought emergency funding for to help Americans still reeling from natural disasters from this summer as well as funding to help settle Afghan refugees.
“We can approve this measure quickly and send it to the House so it can reach the President’s desk before funding expires midnight tomorrow. With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown. This proposal will prevent one from happening and I want to thank my colleagues who are working quickly to prepare this legislation,” Schumer said.
Earlier in the week, Senate Democrats attempted to pass an approved House temporary measure that funded the government through Dec. 3, 2021. That measure would also suspend the debt limit through Dec. 16, 2022.
On Monday, Senate Republicans blocked the bill that would have suspended the debt ceiling. The Senate vote fell 48-50, with 60 votes being required in order to advance the legislation.
Republicans refused to back the legislation due to the Democrats’ plans to spend trillions as part of President Joe Biden’s far-reaching economic plan.
Both Mississippi Republican Senators opposed the earlier attempt from the Democrats.
Senator Roger Wicker stated that the Senate GOP “has been clear from the beginning that we would not support a debt ceiling increase to clear the decks for congressional Democrats to enact a reckless tax-and-spending package that could cost more than $3.5 trillion.”
The @SenateGOP has been clear from the beginning that we would not support a debt ceiling increase to clear the decks for congressional Democrats to enact a reckless tax-and-spending package that could cost more than $3.5 trillion.
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) September 28, 2021
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith shared her colleagues thoughts, adding that she does not want any part of the Democrats’ attempts to use the debt ceiling vote to clear a path for the their “socialist agenda.”
“Americans are witnessing Democrat political theater intended to make Republicans complicit in their reckless tax and spending spree. Don’t forget the Democrats have total control of the federal government, including the schedule,” Senator Hyde-Smith told Y’all Politics. “Instead of working responsibly the past eight months to write and pass appropriations bills, they’ve waited until the last minute to try to use the threat of a government shutdown and debt default to clear the path for their socialist agenda. I don’t want any part of it. Bring straight-forward bills to the floor and the country can escape another unnecessary Democrat-engineered crisis.”
There is no word yet as to how Wicker and Hyde-Smith plan to vote on the new agreement Senator Schumer expects to unveil later today.
