Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed an amendment Tuesday that would require the Treasury to prioritize payments using a five-tiered structure and indicated he would vote in favor of the debt deal negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden.
Massie announced during a House Rules Committee hearing that he would vote in favor of the debt limit bill. He was considered the swing vote and didn't disclose how he would vote until the Tuesday hearing.
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"I anticipate voting for this rule," Massie said. "When people want to express their ideology, the floor of the House on the actual final passage of the bill is the place to do that. [We] owe them an honest shake and a playing field that doesn't change."
The tiered payment structure he introduced would prioritize different payments. Tier 1 would include public debt, Social Security, and Medicare payments. Tier 2 would include payments for the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Tier 3 would include payments for programs not designated in a tier. Tier 4 would include compensation for the executive branch and some other government activities. Tier 5 would include compensation for members of Congress.
Massie is considered the GOP swing vote in the Rules hearing on the debt limit bill. When going in, he says he's made a decision but wouldn't announce how he'll vote.
— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) May 30, 2023
Meanwhile, he has filed an amendment that would require Treasury to prioritize payments using tiered structure pic.twitter.com/pZ4Y3URMAy
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Massie's vote was considered crucial to getting the debt ceiling bill to the House floor. With his approval, the bill appears set to make it through Congress.
Cami Mondeaux contributed to this report.