GOP House members representing Asheville, WNC vote to raise debt ceiling; what they said

The Republicans holding all of WNC's congressional seats were among those voting May 31 to raise the national debt limit ― a stark contrast to some notable past Western North Carolina GOP members.

Chuck Edwards of Henderson County, Virginia Foxx of Avery County, and Patrick McHenry of Lincoln County ― whose 10th District includes Burke and part of Rutherford County ― were in the 314-117 majority that passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants a vote June 2. Congress needs to send an agreement to Biden’s desk before June 5 or the nation will face a catastrophic debt default, economists have said.

While the bill's supporters were many, vocal opposition came from the left and the right, where hardline conservatives said the spending cuts don't go far enough and accused fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy of betraying power-sharing commitments he made to them to secure the speakership. At the heart of the rebellion were members of the Freedom Caucus, founded in part by former WNC 11th District representative and Donald Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows.

AG: Mark Meadows won't face voter fraud charges in North Carolina

After Meadows, the 11th District, which includes Asheville and Buncombe County, was represented by controversial hard-right Republican Madison Cawthorn, who did not vote for a 2021 debt limit increase. Cawthorn lost to fellow Henderson County Republican Edwards in the 2022 primary.

While Republicans have refused to pass "clean" debt ceiling increases without negotiation under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, they did vote to raise the limit under Trump.

Edwards, in contrast to his predecessors, told the Citizen Times in January it was "not an option" to stop a debt ceiling increase.

Rep. Chuck Edwards: As Canton mill closure looms, Rep. Chuck Edwards seeks $9.8M in aid. Here's what it's for

Here's what Edwards and the other Republicans said about their votes:

Chuck Edwards

U.S. Representative for the 11th District (Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, Yancey, McDowell, Rutherford and Polk counties)

“Most Americans agree that the spending spree in Washington is reckless and out of control. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, while not perfect and not everything I wanted, represents the largest spending rollback from any Congress in U.S. history ― $2.1 trillion.

“At the same time, it prevents our nation from missing payments on our loans, which would propel us into a global economic recession, something WNC working families cannot afford.

“This legislation is a huge win for conservatives, especially when we face the harsh reality that House Republicans control a razor-thin majority while President Biden occupies the White House and Chuck Schumer controls the Senate.”

Asheville NOAA: After Asheville NOAA visit, Chuck Edwards says 'lot of hysteria' around climate change

Virginia Foxx

U.S. Representative for 5th District (Mitchell, Avery, Watauga, Caldwell, Ashe, Wilkes, Alleghany, Surry, Yadkin, Davie, Stokes and Forsyth counties)

"The Biden administration extended the student loan repayment pause a half a dozen times, citing the pandemic as justification. COVID-19 became a tool for the administration to advance the president’s radical free college agenda. This bill puts a stop to it and returns borrowers to repayment.

“For three years, borrowers didn’t pay a dime in student loans while taxpayers incurred billions in costs associated with this administration’s extension scheme. The pandemic is over, and the national emergency status is lifted. We must move forward.

“The Fiscal Responsibility Act represents a positive step towards being accountable for taxpayer dollars and restoring individual responsibility in America. Moving forward, Congress must work to find lasting solutions to the federal student loan program that addresses the root causes of student debt and the rising cost of college.”

Patrick McHenry

U.S. Representative for the 10th District (Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, Gaston, Cleveland and Rutherford counties)

“This is the most conservative spending package during my time in Congress and I was proud to support it on the House floor. The Fiscal Responsibility Act is the largest deficit-reduction bill in at least a decade and will fundamentally change the spending trajectory in Washington.

“For the first time in a debt-limit negotiation, the U.S. government will spend less money than it did the year before. We achieved historic spending cuts that will help bring down inflation, consequential reforms to help Americans get out of poverty and back into the workforce, claw backs of billions of dollars of COVID money, and transformational permitting reforms that cut red tape for energy and infrastructure projects. This bill will block the Administration from imposing new taxes during a time of economic uncertainty and rein in Biden’s executive overreach through a statutory administrative pay-go rule. This agreement will also change the way Washington operates by compelling a workable appropriations process.

“Throughout this process, it has been Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans leading. We passed a plan, and it was that plan and the Speaker’s leadership that enabled negotiations and this agreement.”

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What House members for Asheville, WNC said about debt ceiling votes