Congress Passes Debt Ceiling Bill, Becerra Votes 'No'

According to The Huffington Post, the United States House of Representatives today passed an 11th hour bill that will cut spending by $2.1 trillion and gradually raise the debt ceiling until 2013.

The deal, which was subject to weeks of bitter legislative wrangling beneath the looming shadow of a possible national loan default, was passed by a vote of 269-141. 

From the vote, it was clear that the deal was not ammenable to many house Democrats.

From the HuffPost:

House Democrats were furious, with some members calling the bill a "Satan sandwich" and most of the Congressional Progressive Caucus vowing to vote against it. In the end, however, 95 Democrats voted to support the bill, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who is recovering from a gun shot wound.

Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), who represents Highland Park, Mount Washington Eagle Rock and Echo Park in the 31st U.S. Congressional district, was one democrat who refused to take a bite of the so-called "Satan sandwich."

Becerra, Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, said the following in an official release distributed after the vote.

“Who in Washington is listening to the American people? This proposal does not speak to the values of America—it is not balanced nor does it ask for shared sacrifice. It does nothing about the main drivers of our deficits: the Bush tax cuts, and the unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it does nothing to fix the biggest deficit holding our economy back: the jobs deficit.

We owe it to those who built this country to protect Medicare and Social Security from being blindsided by future indiscriminate cuts. We owe it to our children—the future leaders of this great nation—to ensure they have every opportunity to a decent education. We owe it to the American people who sent us to Washington to listen to them and to represent their values. They deserve nothing less. That is why today I voted against S. 365”