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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) joined a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans this week to vote against increasing the national debt by $290 billion.  The bill, H.R. 4314, increases the national debt limit from $12.1 trillion to $12.39 trillion, or more than $40,300 for every person in America.

“It’s business as usual in Washington” Foxx said. “We’ve got a runaway spending problem and instead of reducing spending the Democrats have once again resorted to upping the credit limit on the nation’s credit card.  That may work today, but this runaway fiscal train is going to come to a screeching halt very soon.”

The debt limit increase narrowly passed the House on a 218-214 vote, with 39 Democrats joining Republican lawmakers in opposition to the $290 billion uptick.  Congress last raised the debt limit in February, when it enacted the stimulus bill.  Foxx also opposed that measure, which raised the debt limit by $789 billion and was financed with borrowed money. 

“Congress has raised the national debt ceiling by more than a trillion dollars this year, thanks to a record $1.4 trillion deficit,” Foxx said.  “This is not the sort of Christmas present that taxpayers were looking for this December.  They expect Congress to corral its wild spending habits and stop racking up debt.  Instead, we’ll probably see more of the same in the new year.”

When Congress returns in 2010 it is expected to vote to increase the national debt again by as much as $2 trillion.  Foxx plans to oppose such an increase, should it materialize in 2010.