Stauber draws hard line on spending, votes 'no' on raising debt ceiling

U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber joined fellow state Republicans in voting against a short-term extension to raise the national debt ceiling Tuesday, telling the Democrats they'll have to go it alone on spending.

"It is unacceptable that Democrats want to spend more money at this critical juncture instead of discussing pro-growth policies that will change the direction of our nearly $29 trillion in national debt," Stauber, R-Hermantown, said in a news release late Tuesday.

The Senate adopted a short-term measure last week to raise the debt ceiling through early December. The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to approve the resolution along party lines, 219-206. Passage of the vote enables the U.S. Treasury to continue borrowing money to pay the national debt, and a failure to do so could have had immediate negative impacts on things like Social Security payments and the economy.

Stauber, representing the 8th Congressional District, claimed Democrats would use the debt ceiling to pass their $5.5 trillion infrastructure and reconciliation package.

"Democrats control the White House, Senate and House — so if they want to spend trillions of dollars that we can't afford — then they can do so alone," Stauber said.

Stauber cited inflation, something he's done often of late, in explaining his no vote. The pace of inflation over the past year rose to a 30-year high of 5.4% in September.

"When inflation soars to even greater heights and American families suffer as a result of their expensive policies, the blame will fall squarely upon their shoulders," Stauber said of Democrats.