House approves symbolic resolution disapproving of debt-ceiling raise

The House on Wednesday passed a resolution disapproving of President Obama’s request to raise the country’s borrowing limit by $1.2 trillion, registering its displeasure with a debt hike that most members agreed on in the August debt ceiling deal.

Wednesday’s 239-to-176 vote took place largely along party lines, with 233 Republicans and six Democrats voting “yes” while 175 Democrats and one Republican voted “no.” Two Republicans voted “present.”

The vote marks the second of two “resolutions of disapproval” allowed for in the August debt deal. In September, the House passed a similar resolution on a 232-to-186 vote. But the measure was blocked by the Senate, and the debt ceiling was raised by $500 billion.

This time around, a similar course of events will likely play out: the Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to block the latest debt disapproval resolution when it returns to Washington next week.

That means that Obama’s request to raise the federal borrowing limit to $16.4 trillion from $15.2 trillion will progress as planned, an increase that will carry the country through the end of the year.

Wednesday’s vote was among the first items of business addressed by the House in 2012: it marked the fourth roll-call vote of the 112th Congress’s second session, which held its first legislative meeting on Tuesday.

The six Democratic “yes” votes on Wednesday came from members of the conservative Blue Dog Coalition: Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), John Barrow (Ga.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Jim Matheson (Utah) and Mike McIntyre (N.C.).

The one Republican “no” vote was House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (Calif.), who was among five Republicans voting “no” in September.

And the two “present” votes were Reps. Jeff Landry (La.) and Joe Walsh (Ill.), both members of the GOP’s freshman class.