The Blue Dog Democrats are lining up in opposition to the Republicans’ proposal to raise the debt ceiling and slash deficit spending.
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) said Thursday that he’ll vote “no,” tweeting that the GOP bill “creates too much uncertainty that harms economy, threatens full faith and credit of USA.”
{mosads}Just hours earlier, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), another Blue Dog, told reporters that he’ll oppose the bill as well.
Matheson and Shuler were two of five Democrats to support the GOP’s “cut, cap and balance” legislation earlier in the month. The other three are Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Jim Cooper (Tenn.) and Mike McIntyre (N.C.).
The Republicans’ latest bill would cut $917 billion in deficit spending over the next 10 years and increases the debt limit by $900 billion, enough to empower government spending until early next year and require Congress to revisit the issue before the 2012 elections.
GOP leaders have struggled to secure the 216 Republican votes they’ll need to pass their bill through the lower chamber, focusing a good deal of attention on the intentions of the Blue Dogs.
Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) said Thursday morning that he’d spoken with Shuler moments before and “he said not a single Blue Dog is voting for it.”
The House is expected to vote on the GOP bill Thursday evening.
This article was updated at 2 p.m.