U.S. Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga) voted against the Republican-sponsored “No Budget No Pay” legislation today, a bill that would suspend the debt limit for the next three months in exchange for a 2014 budget resolution from both chambers of Congress.
Barrow, along with other 110 Democrats and 33 Republicans in the House of Representatives, voted against the bill.
H.R. 325, which passed today 285-144, sets a deadline of April 14 for a passage of a FY 2014 budget. If either chamber fails to pass it, the members of that body would have their pay withheld until they can agree on a budget resolution.
The pay, however, would be released at the end of the current Congress regardless of a budget situation.
Barrow, a centrist Democrat who is a member of the conservative Blue-Dog Coalition, released the following statement explaining his vote:
"Washington has a spending problem. I will not vote to raise the debt ceiling without any deficit reduction, much less vote to completely repeal the debt ceiling for the next 4 months without any spending cuts. As for the 'No Budget, No Pay' provision, only in Washington does 'No Budget, No Pay' actually mean 'still no budget and still get paid.'"
The debt ceiling will be suspended until May 18, 2013 if the bill goes through the Senate, and it is expected to do so.
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