Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R – Oklahoma) announced today in a letter to Majority Whip, Kevin McCarty, his intention to vote 'No' on House Resolution 325, the so called ‘No Budget, No Pay bill’, describing the bill as “gimmicky and not serious.”
Bridenstine observes several deficiencies in the bill. First, is that the bill will suspend the debt limit with no spending cuts. A suspension of the debt limit, according the Oklahoma Congressman, is more alarming than an increase, since the bill leaves no statutory limit on the federal debt.
Second, although the bill states that the Senate must pass a budget or not be paid, it does not state that the Senate budget must place the nation on a path to fiscal responsibility. And third, raising the debt limit without spending cuts violates the promises of all those in the House who campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility.
In final analysis, even if we look beyond the rather obvious violation of the 27th Amendment, and the fact that the Democratic Senate will not go along with the ‘No Budget, No Pay’ proposal, the Republicans will yet again be on record voting for a debt increase without corresponding cuts in spending.
And therefore, the entire ‘No Budget, No Pay’ drama will be seen as a gimmicky and not very serious public relations stunt.