West Virginia’s First District Congressman says the U.S. House of Representatives is sending a clear message to the U.S. Senate with the “No Budget, No Pay Act.”
“We’re willing to extend, for just three months, raising the debt limit but you, the Senate, you have to act,” Republican Congressman David McKinley said. “Up until this time, we’ve not been able to find a vehicle to force the Senate to act on passing a budget.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. House approved a short term increase to the debt ceiling with a 285-144 vote. Congressman McKinley was one of the House members who voted in favor of the measure.
That temporary extension, which adds to the federal government’s borrowing authority through May 19th, also says Congress must pass a budget by April 15th or paychecks will be cut off for members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Senate has not approved a budget in almost four years. “This is a way to force some discipline over on the Senate side and it also will require the House to do the same thing,” McKinley said.
Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, joined Congressman McKinley in voting for the proposal which has now been sent to the U.S. Senate. Third District Congressman Nick Rahall, a Democrat, voted against it.
Congressman McKinley says he is focused on one goal. “I want to see a balanced budget again. This country’s got to get its fiscal house in order,” he said on Thursday’s MetroNews Talkline.