Hoosier Democrats Support Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Plan Protecting Jobs, Seniors, Healthcare and Veterans
President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats found compromise and protected veterans’ healthcare benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, and Hoosier jobs in the bipartisan debt ceiling bill which passed the U.S. House this evening.
Democratic Reps. Frank Mrvan and André Carson voted for the bill, as did most of the Republican delegation from Indiana. However, 2024 U.S. Senate candidate Jim Banks did not vote at all. Earlier in the day, he announced he would vote against the bill, which would’ve steered the country toward default.
“This is a bipartisan deal that protects healthcare and veterans’ benefits for countless Hoosiers; it keeps jobs safe and our economy stable. Default would have been catastrophic to the dollar, the markets, and Hoosiers,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl.
“Jim Banks is seeking a promotion to the U.S. Senate and he can’t even do what he was sent to Washington to do: vote. Banks was MIA tonight and he showed once again that he simply cannot be trusted by Hoosiers to protect Medicare and Social Security. We need leaders who can work across the aisle to develop solutions for working people and make decisions in times of crisis.
“This deal may not be perfect, but this compromise is a win for seniors, teachers, and Hoosier families. With veterans’ benefits, Social Security, and Medicare intact (and default averted), Reps. Frank Mrvan and André Carson have prioritized the dignity of people and protected America’s economic future.”
A Republican-incentivized default would have had insurmountable repercussions on the average American and on the stability of our current economy. A default could cause a major recession, the loss of millions of jobs, and increase inflation for consumers.
This deal guarantees that Americans experience no changes to Medicaid and, as mentioned, fully funded medical care for veterans. In addition, this deal protects investments in clean energy and electric vehicle development that have created thousands of jobs in Indiana that Republicans originally wished to cut.
