WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House voted to pass a bill that would extend the U.S. debt ceiling deadline until May 18 and would withhold Congressional paychecks if lawmakers fail to pass a budget by the legally mandated April 15 deadline.
The measure, H.R. 325 sponsored by Michigan Republican Dave Camp, passed by a 285-144 margin with most of its support coming from House Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) indicated that the bill would also pass in the the Legislature’s upper house.
New Jersey Republicans Frank LoBiondo, Jon Runyan, Chris Smith, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance and Rodney Frehlighuysen voted for the resolution. New Jersey Democrats Rob Andrews, Frank Pallone, Albio Sires, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne Jr. and Rush Holt voted against it.
Congress has not passed a budget since April of 2009, however that was technically just an “omnibus spending bill.” The last U.S. budget was passed in 1997.
