Showcase for Commerce: Casey, Joyce address debt ceiling during Showcase

Jun. 2—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Instead of coming to Johnstown for the Showcase for Commerce defense industry expo as planned, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, casting a late-night vote to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the nation from defaulting.

That scheduling prevented him from attending Friday morning's John P. Murtha Breakfast to give the keynote address in person as had been scheduled — but he did deliver video remarks to Showcase attendees.

Meanwhile, the debt ceiling plan passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 63-36 after having gotten through the U.S. House of Representatives 314-117. The legislation then went to President Joe Biden to sign.

"It was critical when you consider the consequences of default, which I think the American people have a fairly good sense of," said Casey, a Democrat who voted in favor of the legislation, during a telephone interview.

"Just the estimates of what it would have done to our economy and beyond the United States — it would have had a cataclysmic effect on every single American. Unemployment would have gone through the roof. Millions and millions of people would have lost their jobs. People would have paid more for everything in their lives."

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Blair, spoke about his support of the debt ceiling plan on Thursday during Showcase's opening ceremony.

He called it "legislation that protects our defense spending. It secures our economy and it takes meaningful steps to curb the runaway spending that has grown our national debt over the past two years."

Joyce added: "While this legislation is not perfect, it has taken positive steps to support our economy, to safeguard Social Security and Medicare, and to safeguard veterans' benefits."

The plan raises the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling after the Treasury Department warned it would be unable to pay all its bills beginning June 5 without action. The limit on federal borrowing will be suspended until Jan. 1, 2025.

The act also caps federal spending; ends the moratorium on student loan payments; rescinds planned spending on the Internal Revenue Service; brings back almost $30 billion of unspent funds for COVID-19 pandemic relief; and imposes new requirements on some recipients of government benefits, including through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The changes could reduce the projected deficit by $1.5 trillion from 2023-2033, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

"Last November, the American people elected a conservative House majority to bring back the ideals which made our nation great — energy independence, reasonable lawmaking, and an economic environment that works for them, not just the liberal elite," said U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Washington, whose 14th Congressional District includes Somerset County, in a released statement.

"While not a perfect plan, the Fiscal Responsibility Act accomplishes this vision, avoids a catastrophic default, and gets America back on track — on Republicans' terms."

Reschenthaler added: "Through a combination of hard work and political fortitude, Republicans not only forced Biden to negotiate, but also secured the largest federal spending cut in U.S. history — a huge win for the fiscal state of our nation."

Casey felt some Republicans were responsible for the situation that brought the government within days of defaulting.

"We really shouldn't have been, as a nation, put in this position by extreme MAGA Republicans in the House," Casey said. "That's the only reason why we came as close as we did, passing it just before midnight on Thursday, when the deadline was Monday, the 5th."

More Democrats voted for the plan — in both chambers — than Republicans did. In the House, 165 Democrats and 149 Republicans supported the measure. The backers in the Senate were 44 Democrats, 17 Republicans and two independents.

"I think it's wonderful that they voted for it because they are now on record, so they can't sit there and yell, 'This isn't good,' " Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said. "So I'll bring something back tomorrow. Let's get the rest of the IRS agents. Let's get the rest of the work requirements. Let's cut more because we are in a big debt. This is fabulous."

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, voted against the plan, but, in a released statement, said he "would have voted to avoid default if it would have made the difference."

"As chair of the Nutrition subcommittee on Agriculture, SNAP benefits fall within my jurisdiction in the upcoming Farm Bill," Fetterman said. "Speaker McCarthy gloated at Democrats that Republicans will push for additional work requirements beyond what is in this bill, saying, 'Let's get the rest of the work requirements. Let's cut more. ...'

"Given that Republicans are more obsessed with hurting poor people than holding banks accountable, you'd think that someone who didn't have a job could crash our economy.

"I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won't give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year. That is why I voted no (on Thursday)."