WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Virginia Congressman Alex Mooney (R-2) is adamant about cutting federal spending. As negotiations continue between the White House and leaders in the House of Representatives, Mooney said he’s encouraged by the promise of immediate cuts in federal spending should the deal be accepted.
“I don’t think there is any particular detail that anyone is wed to. We passed a bill, it’s a good bill, and the Senate will have to pas it, and Biden is going to sign it or not sign it,” said Mooney in an appearance Monday on Metronews Talkline.
The bill which cleared the House raises the debt ceiling, but it also puts substantial cuts into place in the federal budget. Those cuts would start next year according to Mooney, which he said is vital.
Mooney previously voted against the last three proposals to raise the debt ceiling, all of those were under Republican President Donald Trump. However, Mooney said those offered no cuts to federal spending.
“This was a good bill and I was proud to vote for this bill, until we got some cuts in a significant way, I wasn’t comfortable voting for a debt ceiling increase,” he explained.
But there still appears to be quite a gap between the House GOP backed legislation and what the White House would be willing to accept.
Mooney pointed out the only body which has approved any bill is the House of Representatives. He said most Democratic opponents didn’t think they would be able to pull off the vote successfully because of the slim margin of Republicans in the House. However, it’s now done and the next step is in the court of the White House and United States Senate.
“They thought we wouldn’t be able to get the bill, but we shocked them and we did it,” he said.
Mooney believes the bill should be moved by the Senate, but so far he believes they’ve been reluctant to act. Typically the chambers pass a version of the bill–and if they are different they meet and negotiate the differences. But he lamented, that doesn’t seem to be the direction the debt ceiling and spending reduction issue has gone.
“As soon as we passed our bill, Chuck Schumer said, ‘This is up to Biden and the House.’ That’s not even the process. The Senate has to pass a bill,” Mooney said.
The Congressman noted there is a filibuster rule in the Senate which is complicating the process, but it is the necessary process which must be used.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has said June 1st is the deadline to get something done or the United States faces defaulting on debt obligations.