STATEMENT: KHANNA ANNOUNCES HE WILL VOTE NO ON THE DEBT CEILING DEAL

Washington, DC- Today, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Deputy Whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on voting no on the debt ceiling agreement:

"We should not be negotiating in this country about paying our bills. It's patriotic for America to keep its word and pay off the debt. Then we can discuss bipartisan ways to lower the deficit. Instead, Republicans chose to hijack the U.S. economy to force cuts that will hurt the most vulnerable.

The debt ceiling agreement will cause millions of Americans to suffer so Republicans can score political points. I cannot support taking away food stamps from older Americans, including disproportionately women of color, forsaking students with mountains of debt, and sacrificing our water and our air to fast-track the Mountain Valley Pipeline - a project completely unrelated to the national debt.

It's cruel, and the work requirements and environmental harms won't meaningfully move the needle on the deficit. The deal also guts my Stop CHEATERS Act, which would raise an estimated $1.2 trillion in revenue by bringing back tax enforcement on the ultra-wealthy. If Republicans are serious about reducing the deficit, they should start with the Pentagon budget, which is approaching a trillion dollars a year, and end Trump's tax cuts for the rich.

This is not a deal that upholds progressive values. It increases spending for defense and limits the pot of money for everything else. I urge my colleagues to consider the impact this will have in concrete, practical terms. It will force real dollar cuts that push parents relying on government childcare financial assistance out of the workforce. It will mean cuts to housing vouchers that leave families unable to put a roof over their heads. Programs that help low-income Americans with their energy bills will have to turn people away in the winter.

I'm voting no on the debt ceiling agreement."

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Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.