Senate votes to increase debt ceiling $1.9 trillion – That’s 15%

More than a week ago, I told you about a Democrat proposal to increase the debt ceiling for the federal government by a whopping 15 percent from $12.4 trillion to $14.3 trillion dollars. The Senate just voted to go with the plan, and they voted exactly down party lines – 60 to 40.

From my previous post.

Not so unbelievable news from Washington D.C. tonight, where Democrats in Congress are requesting – from themselves – they be allowed to increase the federal debt ceiling more than 15 percent, from 12.4 trillion to 14.3 trillion. What’s a couple more trillion ya know?

This is not good news for Americans. Democrats in Congress are bent on destroying the economy of the United States $1 trillion at a time.

Michelle Malkin does the math … $14.3 trillion is $45,000 for each and every American. (It’s actually a bit over $46,300 by my math and using the US Census population clock.

Update: Jim Hoft over at Gateway Pundit points to Axis of Right, with the breakdown and history of recent debt ceiling increases. Head over to Axis of Right to read his full post, but here’s a taste…

  • Total debt ceiling increases under Bush and Republican Congress (6 years):  $3.4 trillion
  • Total debt ceiling increases under Bush and Democrat Congress (2 years):  $2.35 trillion
  • Total debt celiling increases under Obama and Democrat Congress (1 year):  $3. trillion

From the New York Times, with my emphasis in bold.

The Senate voted narrowly on Thursday to increase the government’s borrowing authority to $14.3 trillion, which would allow the Treasury Department to continue servicing the country’s spiraling national debt through most of 2010.

Senate Democrats hope the 60 to 40 party-line vote will enable them to avoid another politically toxic vote on the issue before the November congressional elections.

The House of Representatives must also approve the hike before President Barack Obama can sign it into law.

Congress must periodically raise the legal limit for the government’s borrowing, and the Treasury Department is expected within weeks to exceed the current $12.4 trillion limit set in December.

Failure to raise the limit would roil financial markets, but lawmakers are never eager to sign off on a measure that allows the government to dig itself deeper into debt.

All the Democrats in the Senate seem OK with it.

Do they have a choice? Well, those approving the increase would say the financial markets and U.S. economy would completely crash without it. This is the bed we lie in when everyone starts depending on the federal government for everything.

We’re screwed.

Important note: (added by Steve Jan. 29) In reality, Congress extends the debt limit when they agree to spend money they do not have by passing legislation like porkulus. Extending the debt ceiling by vote is kind of like buying a rasberry push-up from the ice cream truck, and licking it all up as you walk home to ask mom for a dollar to pay the guy. Of course, mom’s not home.

Somehow, I don’t think the ice cream truck guy would like that.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

4 Comments

  1. Dimsdale on January 28, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    I better brush up on my Chinese so I can speak to the new owners of the country in their own tongue…



  2. durhamite on January 29, 2010 at 5:26 am

    Why isn't there more outrage about this?  It's barely being reported.  Funny, this was done a day after the SOTU.

    AND – Why is interim/appointed Kirk still voting?  Why is there no outrage about that?  Where are the REPUBLICANS leadership voice?

    DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S FINANCIAL FUTURE??



    • donh on February 1, 2010 at 6:57 pm

      This is the question. Republicans want us to all get behind them and put them back in control, but this  vote proves  we will get more of the same . It will be back to Bush style  big government as usual. No republican reps,  no talk show hosts  brought any pressure to bear on this illegal vote. Maybe they can keep Brown out until certification, but the seat should be empty without any votes from Kirk. People donated money and worked hard to get this guy Brown into the Senate and the country club republicans cut a  back room deal to keep quiet and let the senate sneak by an illegal vote allowing more borrowing. Most sad  is that the military allows this kind of open corruption to take place. They take an oath to protect this  constitution. They live off the tax payer with all their pay and benefits. Yet they fail to do their duty , escort this illegitimate Kirk out of the building , and protect the tax payer from these  criminal thieves.



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