RGV representatives in House all voted for the debt ceiling deal

All three Rio Grande Valley representatives in the House of Representatives voted for the debt ceiling bill, but statements issued following the vote mostly fell along party lines.

However, there was one aside.

Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-McAllen, Vicente Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, all agreed — for the most part — that partisan politics over the debt ceiling should not be a political bargaining chip that lands on the backs of everyday Americans.

Cuellar said in a statement on Facebook that the well-being of the American people should never be used as a bargaining chip in partisan politics.

“After engaging in thoughtful discussions with my fellow colleagues, irrespective of their party affiliations, I am heartened to witness a spirit of compromise prevailing,” he said in his statement. “This pivotal legislation will act as a safeguard for our American economy and avert a potential financial crisis.”

While both Gonzalez and De La Cruz agreed on this in principle, each took shots at their opposing parties.

Gonzalez blamed Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, and House Republicans for playing games with American’s livelihood and jeopardizing the full faith and credit of the United States.

“By toying with default, Republicans risked more than $12 billion in Veteran benefits, $25 billion in Social Security benefits, and $47 billion for Medicare providers,” Gonzalez said in his statement. “Defaulting would have risked up to eight million American jobs.”

Gonzalez also said that as a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the House Financial Services Committee he understands the need for fiscal responsibility.

“However, we could have avoided this by passing a clean bill months ago instead of playing political games to the detriment of our constituents,” he said.

In De La Cruz’s statement, she said defaulting on debt is not an option that she is willing to entertain.

“This would devastate our economy and hurt working families,” she said. “It would also endanger our commitments to seniors, farmers, Border Patrol agents, children with disabilities, and our nation’s heroes — all without achieving significant concessions from President Biden.”

De La Cruz said no one should have to miss a Social Security check, adding that veterans should not have to skip medical care because of political drama.

“Our government should not be a telenovela; it should be about preserving liberty and helping Americans,” De La Cruz said.

The congresswoman added that Republican leaders need to shoot straight with constituents about what’s attainable under the current political environment.

“The last time we were able to force a Democratic president to cut spending, our party controlled the Senate and held a 38-seat majority in the House. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near that now,” De La Cruz said.

She said it’s time to chart a new course and reinvigorate the commitment to common sense leadership.

“This means that when the American people entrust us to lead, we must govern responsibly,” she said. “No more excuses. This is the only way to restore fiscal sanity to Washington and save our country from decline.”

De La Cruz, however, said the debt ceiling bill is far from ideal.

“By racking up more debt than any government in human history, Washington has put our country on a path toward a fiscal calamity. I agree with my colleagues who say this bill does not fully rectify that problem, but it is an important first step,” she said.

The bill rolls back 2023 spending levels; caps non-defense spending; cuts red tape on oil and gas initiatives, supports veterans exposed to war toxins; lifts families out of poverty; and imposes a mandatory 1% cut if Congress refuses to do its job, according to De La Cruz.

“Is it ideal? Far from it, but it is better than even more reckless spending, more job-killing regulations on American energy, and the unconditional clean debt ceiling that Joe Biden and liberal Democrats were demanding before they made concessions to Speaker McCarthy,” she said.

Gonzalez also said that the bill is not perfect, but he praised Biden’s leadership and credited the president for making the deal.

“Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we have a deal to maintain Social Security payments for over 70,000 families and protect the health benefits of more than 300,000 residents who depend on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs for healthcare coverage in the 34th Congressional District of Texas,” Gonzalez said. “I voted to support the Bipartisan Budget Deal but I want to be clear: this is not a responsible way to govern.

“Although not perfect, this bipartisan compromise will raise the debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default, putting hardworking families and South Texans first.”

The bill now goes to the Senate.