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Bergman: Debt deal ‘not perfect,’ but good

Jack Bergman

ALPENA — Congressman Jack Bergman, who represents northern Michigan, voted to support the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raised the federal debt ceiling until 2025.

The House passed the debt ceiling increase Wednesday night by a 314-to-117 vote.

Bergman, a Republican from Watersmeet, said he favored the deal brokered by U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, along with other party and administration leaders, because it prevented the country from defaulting on its debt. He said it also will help reel in government spending and have a positive impact on national debt.

Bergman said in a press release Wednesday night that, overall, the deal was a win for Republicans and the American people, because it will help curb government spending.

“As Members of Congress, each day we are faced with tough decisions on how to best represent the constituents of our districts,” Bergman said in his statement. “Today was nothing different. I voted in favor of the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act to avoid defaulting on our debts and begin clawing away at our out-of-control spending habits. Admittedly, this legislation was not perfect but given the fact Republicans only control the House, this was a good deal for conservatives.

“We didn’t get to the fiscal crisis we are in today overnight, but this is a good first step in fixing decades of poor financial decision-making,” he added.

The debt deal easily passed through the House, but still must work its way through the Senate before the president is expected to sign it. The deal had its Republican naysayers, who believed McCarthy should have pushed more strongly for steeper spending cuts.

The package approved by the House is expected to trim deficits — or the gap between federal income and federal spending — by about $1.5 trillion over the next decade.

“Let me be perfectly clear — this debt ceiling deal contains more conservative wins than any debt ceiling measure presented since I’ve come to Congress,” Bergman said. “This includes when Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and the White House under President Trump.”

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