(FROM GLORY 97.5 & SRN NEWS/AP) – The two men who represent Hall County in Congress voted “no” Friday night on a plan that passed the House that averted a government shutdown at midnight. Andrew Clyde (R-Jackson County) and Rich McCormick (R-Suwanee) joined 32 other Republicans in opposing the measure which passed on a vote of 366-34, with no Democratic opposition.
Clyde had said earlier Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I fully support delivering disaster and farm aid. Yet, as with all government funding, this aid must be done in a fiscally responsible manner. I cannot in good conscience vote for legislation that adds $110 billion to the deficit, which why I offered House GOP Leadership numerous options to pay for this aid. Unfortunately, all of these offsets were rejected. I’m a NO on the current CR (Continuing Resolution.)”
After the vote, McCormick, also on X, said “There has to be a conservative conscience…I made a promise to address the debt, and I will not back down from it.”
The plan that passed was offered by Speaker Mike Johnson and will temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid but drops President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.
Johnson insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day’s outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — if not, he said in an early morning post Friday, let the closures “start now.”