How NY's House members voted on debt deal: Most GOP reps supported, Dems were split

The pending deal in Washington to avert a catastrophic debt default split the votes of New York's House members, with most Republicans in support but nine of 15 Democrats balking at President Biden's concessions.

Here's a breakdown of how they voted.

For some NY Republicans, debt deal was 'bipartisan compromise'

For Republicans like Rep. Marc Molinaro, the bill that cleared the House in a 314-117 vote Wednesday night represented a bipartisan compromise. He hailed it for resolving the looming crisis while giving his party some of what it sought in return, which included future spending cuts and expanded work requirements for the food stamp program.

"This bill will provide relief to working families and takes a meaningful step to prevent future generations from being saddled with trillions of dollars in debt,” Molinaro, a freshman from Dutchess County, said in a statement before casting his vote.

Also supported the bill were five other Republicans who took office in January, including Rep. Mike Lawler of Rockland County and Rep. Brandon Williams of Cayuga County.

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Democrats split over deal's spending cuts

New York Democrats fell into two camps: those who accepted the bargain because it omitted more stringent Republican demands; and those who were dismayed by the concessions that remained and voted against the bill.

One of six who voted in favor was Rep. Pat Ryan, the Ulster County Democrat who represents the Hudson Valley district next to Molinaro's. In a phone interview before the vote, he praised the bill largely for what it had dropped from the GOP wish list, such as deeper cuts in domestic programs and new work requirements for people enrolled in Medicaid health insurance.

"This was a very extreme set of cuts," Ryan said of the original Republican proposal.

He argued that while extremists were set to oppose the final version, pragmatists like himself and the two Republicans with neighboring swing districts - Molinaro and Lawler - had embraced the compromise.

"The Hudson Valley is the kind of place that, regardless of party, requires us to deliver, to work together," Ryan said.

Lawler praised the bill in a statement, saying it will "save American taxpayers over 2.1 trillion dollars over the next six years, while blocking 5 trillion dollars in new taxes the Biden administration sought to impose." He also cheered its inclusion of permitting reforms for gas and oil projects that will "unleash American energy."

The Democrats' leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, voted for the bill. So did Rep. Joe Morelle, a Rochester Democrat who said on Twitter that the bipartisan agreement "upholds our fiscal responsibility, prevents a default, and rejects extremist Republican proposals that would have cut essential programs and services Americans rely on."

Who voted against the bill?

Nine other New York Democrats, mostly from New York City, voted against the debt deal. Among them was Rep. Jamaal Bowman of Yonkers, who represents much of Westchester County. He railed against the bill's spending cuts and other GOP items in a string of tweets Thursday morning.

"Like many of my colleagues, I cannot in good conscience endorse a bill that unnecessarily pairs a debt limit increase with attacks on the poor and marginalized, and that threatens our shared future with more giveaways to the fossil fuel industry," Bowman tweeted.

New York's 26 House members voted 16-10 on the bill. Only one of 11 Republicans voted against it: George Santos, the Long Islander who has been under fire for fabricating much of his background before winning his seat in November.

What's next?

The deal, negotiated by the White House and House Republican leaders, suspends the nation's $31.4 trillion debt limit until 2025, resolving the issue until after the next election. It awaits Senate approval with only days left to avoid an unprecedented calamity: the federal government's first debt default in its history.

Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Debt ceiling deal: Here's a rundown of how NY reps voted