By Drew Adams
Murray, KY – Tension is mounting as the August 2nd deadline for an increase of the debt ceiling approaches. Kentucky 1st district Representative Ed Whitfield, says he plans to vote in favor of the G.O.P.'s new Cut, Cap and Balance Act coming to the House floor today. National media has touted the vote as largely symbolic. Whitfield says his intention is to assist House Republicans in passing the bill regardless of a prospective senate vote:
"Then the question becomes, will the Senate pass it? And I don't know the answer to that except Harry Reid and others have said they are opposed to a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. So I would expect because of what Harry Reid has said that the Senate would not pass this."
Whitfield says today's vote is important even thought the Senate likely won't pass the bill. The Cut, Cap and Balance Act seeks to cut current government spending, place a cap on the percentage of GDP that future sessions of Congress could spend and place an amendment in the Constitution requiring congress to balance the budget annually.