Latham To Democrat-led Congress: "Don't Push Debt Limit Increase On Backs Of U.S. Troops"

Press Release

Iowa Congressman Tom Latham said on Tuesday that he will oppose any attempt in Congress to tie a spending bill to fund U.S. troops and national defense to an unrelated provision to increase the national debt limit, a maneuver under consideration by some in the Democrat leadership.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democratic leaders are putting finishing touches on legislation raising the debt ceiling to $14 trillion, which will likely be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. News that Democrats are moving to attach the record debt limit increase to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill has sparked concern from many in Congress, including Congressman Latham.

"The defense spending bill is critically important, and it's unacceptable to condition its passage on a political stunt to allow the federal government to take on more debt," Congressman Latham said. "It's shameful that the Democrat majority in Congress is trying to use a bill that supports our men and women in uniform as a vehicle to pass contentious and completely unrelated measures."

The U.S. Treasury is granted the authority to manage and sell U.S. debt up to a certain limit set by Congress - also known as the debt ceiling or debt limit. Before debt can be sold above the approved limit, Congress must approve legislation to do so. The debt limit was raised already this year to just over $12 trillion with passage and enactment of President Obama's stimulus package in February.

Latham condemned the latest attempt to raise the current federal debt ceiling by nearly $2 trillion as a costly and irresponsible move that shouldn't be tied to troop funding. He joined more than 170 of his colleagues to send a letter to Pelosi calling for the bill to be limited only to defense appropriations.

"We object to maneuvers to use our troops as leverage to enact proposals that the Majority either cannot pass on their own or wish to avoid directly voting on, and we will oppose a Defense Appropriations package that includes such provisions," the letter says.

While it is the most obvious unrelated provision, the debt limit provision most likely will not be the only item crammed into the final bill. News reports have indicated that the bill may include a sweeping range of unrelated provisions that have no bearing on defense functions.

"In the span of about one year, we've seen $787 billion spent on a failed stimulus bill, and the American people have been forced to buy two car companies and bail out irresponsible financial firms," Congressman Latham said. "In addition, Congress is still attempting to cobble together a $1.2 trillion government takeover of health care, an $800 billion job-killing cap-and-trade bill and yet another "stimulus' proposal. This is, indeed, change, but I don't think many Americans believe in it."

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