LANSING — Last night, Michigan’s Republican lawmakers put their hypocrisy on full display yet again when they voted against raising the debt ceiling, threatening the U.S. economy and putting thousands of American livelihoods at risk. Just two years ago, under a Republican administration, Michigan GOP Congressmen Bergman and Upton were all too ready to join their fellow Republicans in Congress in adding nearly $8 trillion in debt to the U.S. economy—but now that there’s a Democratic president, they’re using the debt limit as a political football.
With their vote last night, Reps. Bergman, Upton, and every single Republican in Congress voted to put millions of Social Security recipients, veterans, federal workers, and families receiving social safety net benefits at risk by voting against raising the debt limit. While Michigan’s Senators—Democrats Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters—are working to deliver a historic infrastructure deal for families across the state and invest in our economy, Republicans in Congress continue to throw bipartisanship out the window without any concern for the well-being of their constituents.
Here’s what this tremendous failure from Michigan Republicans could mean for Michiganders:
- A stoppage of vital Social Security payments for 2.2 million of our state’s most vulnerable residents;
- A pause for the nearly 567,919 Michigan veterans who receive monthly compensation and pension payouts; and
- A benefits freeze for the more than 700,000 Michigan families who receive food assistance.
“It’s far past time for Michigan Republicans to stop playing politics with Michganders’ lives and livelihoods. By voting against raising the debt ceiling, GOP lawmakers chose to jeopardize six million American jobs, keep federal workers and soldiers from getting paid, and even stop Social Security recipients from receiving checks,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Alyssa Bradley. “Michigan voters will not forget that Republicans risked the future of the economy in order to play a pathetic game of political football.”
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