Republicans say federal spending is so out-of-control that the total debt is larger than the entire economy, and the new request brings the total debt limit to more than 108 percent of the gross domestic product. Tea Party darling Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts was the only Republican to side with Democrats.
The Senate on Thursday refused to side with House Republicans and block President Barack Obama’s request to raise the debt limit $1.2 trillion, clearing the way for an automatic increase that will bring the national liability to $16 trillion.
The procedural vote to block the debt increase was supported by Senate Republicans and opposed by Democrats in a mostly party-line vote of 44-52. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts was the only Republican to side with Democrats while two Democrats voted “no” with Republicans, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska.
“We should be working together to lower the debt, not having votes to increase it,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “But the president must be willing to face this crisis head on. He must be willing to acknowledge how serious this issue is.”
Since Obama took office in January 2009, the debt has increased $4.61 trillion, according to the Treasury Department.
“More spending, more debt, fewer jobs — that’s what we’ve gotten from this administration, and now they want to make it worse,” McConnell said.
[…]
