Co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal
Pramila JayapalOvernight Health Care — Presented by Johnson & Johnson – House progressives may try to block vote on Pelosi drug bill | McConnell, Grassley at odds over Trump-backed drug pricing bill | Lawmakers close to deal on surprise medical bills Hillicon Valley: FTC rules Cambridge Analytica engaged in 'deceptive practices' | NATO researchers warn social media failing to remove fake accounts | Sanders calls for breaking up Comcast, Verizon House Democrat presses Google executives for answers on handling of health data MORE (D-Wash.) introduced a bill Friday to repeal pay-as-you-go budgetary rules, a stipulation unpopular among progressives that requires that legislation be deficit neutral.
Let’s get rid of #PAYGO completely. Today, I introduced legislation to get rid of this nonsensical rule that is bad for our economy and for working people. pic.twitter.com/liWbNjw159
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 4, 2019
“I have long been concerned about PAYGO and its legislative implications,” Jayapal said in a statement. “Taking it out of the rules package does not address the real problem which is that it is a statutory requirement. That’s why today I am introducing legislation to repeal PAYGO and hold hearings immediately on why PAYGO is bad policy and bad for millions of working Americans who deserve a bold, visionary progressive agenda.”
Pay-go, which requires that any added cost of legislation be offset with new revenue or cuts elsewhere, was thrust into the spotlight after progressives criticized its inclusion in the House's recently passed rules package.
Her bill seeks to repeal the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, which extends the budgetary stipulation to all new legislation, rather than the pay-go aspect of the rules package. The Senate also has its own version of pay-go.
Progressive Reps. Ro Khanna
Rohit (Ro) KhannaThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Impeachment fight shifts to House Judiciary Democrats hit gas on impeachment George Soros, Charles Koch foundations help launch pro-peace think tank MORE (D-Calif.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezSanders, Omar to hit campaign trail in New Hampshire Ocasio-Cortez: 'Won't you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway' House approves two-state resolution in implicit rebuke of Trump MORE (D-N.Y.) voted against the House package because of the budgetary rule, claiming it would make it easier to cut funding for legislative priorities.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that pay-go was “a dark political maneuver designed to hamstring progress on healthcare+other” legislation.
Tomorrow I will also vote No on the rules package, which is trying to slip in #PAYGO.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2019
PAYGO isn’t only bad economics, as @RoKhanna explains; it’s also a dark political maneuver designed to hamstring progress on healthcare+other leg.
We shouldn’t hinder ourselves from the start. https://t.co/WW3UaBs7vh
However, Reps. Mark Pocan
Mark William PocanHouse progressives may try to block vote on Pelosi drug bill Overnight Health Care: House to vote next week on drug prices bill | Conway says Trump trying to find 'balance' on youth vaping | US spent trillion on hospitals in 2018 Progressive leader warns members could vote no on drug price bill as it stands MORE (D-Wis.) and Jayapal, the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted for the rules after getting assurances from House Democratic leaders and House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) that the pay-go rule can be waived.
Jayapal declared her intention to introduce legislation to fully repeal pay-go when she announced her vote for the rules package this week.
Khanna and Ocasio-Cortez are both co-sponsors on Jayapal’s bill.
