WASHINGTON — One day after the federal government could have gone into default, a local lawmaker is defending her vote to raise the debt ceiling.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R, VA-02) voted yes on the bipartisan "Fiscal Responsibility Act." The compromise cuts federal spending by $1.5 trillion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The measure also imposes stricter work requirements for food stamps, something the Biden administration opposed.
Kiggans said in her "Weekly Debrief" e-mail to constituents: "Defaulting would be a disaster for American families already struggling under inflation caused by years of the government spending more money than we have. I simply was not willing to take that vote."
She elaborated in an interview Tuesday with 13News Now.
"When you compromise, both parties give a little, both parties get a little. So, that's what this bill does. It's not perfect, no bill ever is. The good news is, Congress didn't adjourn. We still have work to do. We will chip away at it one day at a time," she said.
If lawmakers had not approved the deal, the United States would have defaulted for the first time in the nation's 247-year history.
The measure passed in the House on a 314-117 vote and later passed in the Senate, 63-36 before being signed into law by President Biden.