Debt ceiling: Massie files payment prioritization amendment ahead of rules vote
Brady Knox
Video Embed
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed an amendment Tuesday that would require the Treasury to prioritize payments using a five-tiered structure and indicated he would vote in favor of the debt deal negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden.
Massie announced during a House Rules Committee hearing that he would vote in favor of the debt limit bill. He was considered the swing vote and didn’t disclose how he would vote until the Tuesday hearing.
DEBT LIMIT DEAL: WHERE IT STANDS AND WHAT IS STILL TO COME
“I anticipate voting for this rule,” Massie said. “When people want to express their ideology, the floor of the House on the actual final passage of the bill is the place to do that. [We] owe them an honest shake and a playing field that doesn’t change.”
The tiered payment structure he introduced would prioritize different payments. Tier 1 would include public debt, Social Security, and Medicare payments. Tier 2 would include payments for the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Tier 3 would include payments for programs not designated in a tier. Tier 4 would include compensation for the executive branch and some other government activities. Tier 5 would include compensation for members of Congress.
https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1663627344861356032?s=20
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Massie’s vote was considered crucial to getting the debt ceiling bill to the House floor. With his approval, the bill appears set to make it through Congress.
Cami Mondeaux contributed to this report.