Hakeem Jeffries calls debt ceiling bill ‘ransom note’ and defends spending

House Minority Leader Defends President Biden’s Budget

During a press conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) defended President Joe Biden’s budget and criticized House Republicans for producing a “ransom note.” Jeffries called the Default on America Act “wildly irresponsible.”

House Republicans Bring Fiscal Sanity Back to the Government

In January, the United States hit the previous debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion. Republican House members passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act to set the limit at $1.5 trillion or delay it until March 31, 2024. The bill also reduces spending by setting the federal discretionary spending limit at $1.47 trillion for the coming fiscal year.

Despite concerns about the debt ceiling, Jeffries expressed confidence that the country will be able to pay all its bills, reminding reporters that the U.S. has never defaulted in its history. Jeffries also noted that Democratic House members worked with former President Donald Trump on three separate occasions to come to a consensus to raise the debt ceiling.

House Members Reimbursed for Housing Expenses

The House Administration Committee voted unanimously to reimburse all members for rent, utilities, and meals in late December 2022. When asked about the reimbursement, Jeffries reiterated that it was a bipartisan effort to ensure that members are reimbursed for housing expenses. Lawmakers can now submit reimbursement requests for hotel stays as well as rents and utilities connected to properties located in Washington, D.C.

• House members are paid $174,000 annually.
• Expenses would be capped at a daily rate between $172 and $258 and will be tied to the House schedule.

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