WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted 216-214 to add $5.7 trillion to the federal debt over 10 years to cover revenue losses from tax cuts that President Trump has promised high-roller elites. The Trump plan has been wending through the legislative process for weeks. In broad terms there are five options:
> Increase the national debt from the current $36 trillion to $42 trillion.
> Decrease taxes for wealthy Americans and corporations, as Trump promised these elites in his presidential campaign. The cuts would average $61,090 for the top 1% of taxpayers and $252,300 for the top one-10th of 1 percent.
> Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs, which benefit wide swaths of the U.S. population.
> Raise tariffs for revenue, although economists see this as foolhardy because higher tariffs would so damage the economy as to be counterproductive.
> Downsize or eliminate federal agencies, as Trump aide Elon Musk has been working to do by finding efficiencies, but the reductions in public services are problematic with voters. Further, the Trump-Musk cuts are being challenged in the courts as reckless and illegal and also unconstitutional as executive branch over-reaches.
Here is how members of the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegations voted:
For more debt
> Tom Emmer, R-Mn6 (north suburbs)
> Brad Finstad, R-Mn1 (south)
> Michelle Fischbach, R-Mn7 (rural west)
> Pete Stauber, R-Mn 8 (Iron Range)
> Tony Wied, R-Wi8 (DePere)
—
> Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wi5 (Clyman)
> Glen Grothman, R-Wi6 (Campbellsport)
> Bryan Steil, R-Wi1 (Janesville)
> Tom Tiffany, R-Wi7 (Hazelburst)
> Derrick Van Orden, R-Wi3 (Prairie du Chien)
Against
> Angie Craig, D-Mn-2 (south suburbs)
> Betty McCollum, D-Mn4 (St. Paul)
> Kelly Morrison, D-Mn3 (west suburbs)
> Ilhan Omar, D-Mn5 (Minneapolis)
—
> Gwen Moore, D-Wi4 (Milwaukee)
> Mark Pocan, D-Wi2 (Madison)
Earlier: How they voted: Trump budget /2