House votes to block Obama request for another $1.2 trillion in debt

◼ The House on Wednesday kicked off the new Congressional session by passing a resolution to reject President Barack Obama’s call to raise the debt limit by another $1.2 trillion. - Audrey Hudson/Human Events

The resolution was passed by Republicans on a mostly party-line vote of 239 to 176. Rep. David Dreier (R. –Calif.) was the only Republican voting no, six Democrats voted yes.

However, the largely symbolic resolution is not expected to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate during a vote next week or advance to the White House, which means the national debt will automatically increase to $16.4 trillion.

The so-called resolution of disapproval is the only option available to stop what are now automatic debt increases triggered by the Budget Control Act that passed the House in August by a vote of 269-161 with 174 Republicans and 95 Democrats voting in favor of the new law.

There have already been two automatic increases since its passage totaling $9 billion, but Wednesday’s action sought to block until after the November election the third and final increase expected.

Rep. Dan Burton (R. –Ind.) said Republicans share in the blame for raising the debt ceiling, and that they should never have passed the Budget Control Act to put the increases on autopilot.

“We gave the president carte blanche and it’s dead wrong,” Burton said. “This president has control that no president has had in history … able to raise the debt ceiling without us being able to do a darn thing about it. This body made a huge mistake. And the American people need to know it.”