Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) led 106 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives on a letter to the American people yesterday, affirming their commitment to fiscal responsibility and promising not to participate in any attempt from the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. Historically, negotiations to raise the debt ceiling have been bipartisan. 

“Over the last year, Pelosi hijacked a global pandemic to rationalize rampant spending, and has since used the pandemic to justify and normalize unprecedented, reckless spending levels,” said Rep. Hern. “I will not be a part of it, and that includes raising the debt ceiling. Democrats have the majorities in both chambers; they have the White House. They have the power to spend the money on their own, so they have the ability to raise the debt ceiling on their own.”

This letter follows a similar letter signed by 46 Republican Senators earlier this summer, promising no Republican support for any Democrat-led efforts to raise the debt ceiling. 

Rep. Hern, who serves as the Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), is joined on the letter by RSC Chairman Jim Banks, Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, and 103 additional Members of Congress: Ralph Norman (SC-05), Ted Budd (NC-13), Randy Weber (TX-14), Gregory Steube (FL-17), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Billy Long (MO-07), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Mark Green (TN-07), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Richard Hudson (NC-08), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Carol D. Miller (WV-03), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Darin LaHood (IL-18), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Brian Babin (TX-36), John H. Rutherford (FL-04), John Joyce (PA-13), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Debbie Lesko (AZ-08), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Adrian Smith (NE-03), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Yvette Herrell (NM-02), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Alex Mooney (WV-02), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Bob Good (VA-05), Ben Cline (VA-06), Gary Palmer (AL-06), Steven Palazzo (MS-04), Tom Rice (SC-07), Ron Estes (KS-04), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Jody Hice (GA-10), Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Lisa McClain (MI-10), Mike Garcia (CA-25), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Burgess Owens (UT-04), Brian Mast (FL-18), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Rick Allen (GA-12), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Scott Franklin (FL-15), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Scott Desjarlais (TN-04), William Timmons (SC-04), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Robert Latta (OH-05), Mary Miller (IL-15), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Andy Barr (KY-06), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Mike Johnson (LA-04), David Rouzer (NC-07), Michael Waltz (FL-06), Barry Moore (AL-02), Rob Wittman (VA-01), John Moolenaar (MI-04), Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT-AL), Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), Dan Bishop (NC-09), Fred Keller (PA-12), Michael Guest (MS-03), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Bill Posey (FL-08), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Claudia Tenney (NY-22), Jim Baird (IN-04), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (IA-02), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Andrew S. Clyde (GA-09), Devin Nunes (CA-22), Roger Williams (TX-25), Michelle Fishbach (MN-07), Michael Cloud (TX-27), David B. McKinley (WV-01), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), and John Curtis (UT-03).  

The letter can be found here and below:

August 30, 2021

To Our Fellow Americans, 

Since taking total control of the United States federal government, with the Presidency, a narrow majority in the House, and Vice President Harris providing the deciding vote in an evenly split Senate, Democrats have embarked on a massive and unprecedented deficit spending spree. Without a single Republican vote, they passed a $1.9 trillion “Covid relief” bill in March even though $1 trillion was still unspent from previous bipartisan Covid relief bills.

Now they have passed a $3.5 trillion Budget Resolution, again without a single Republican vote. The non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has calculated that a more honest score of this budget resolution will likely exceed $5 trillion. 

In order for this spending to occur, our nation’s debt limit will have to be increased significantly. Because Democrats are responsible for the spending, they need to take responsibility for increasing the debt ceiling. They have total control of the government, and the unilateral ability to raise the debt ceiling to accommodate their unilateral spending plans. Indeed, Democrats have the ability to raise the debt limit through the Budget Resolution by introducing appropriate language in the upcoming reconciliation process (or a subsequent reconciliation). Doing so would not require a single Republican vote, and would appropriately require each and every Democrat to take responsibility for their out-of-control spending. 

We should not default on our debts under any circumstances. If Democrats threaten a default, it will only be because they refuse to vote for the debt ceiling increase necessitated by their own irresponsible spending. Democrats, at any time, have the power through reconciliation to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling, and they should not be allowed to pretend otherwise. 

We, the undersigned Republican Representatives, are letting Democrat Representatives and the American public know that we will not vote to increase the debt ceiling, whether that increase comes through a stand-alone bill, a continuing resolution, or any other vehicle. This is a problem created by Democrat spending. Democrats will have to accept sole responsibility for facilitating it.

Sincerely,

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