Two House Democrats will miss debt ceiling votes over medical issues
“While doing yard work at her home in Minnesota on Monday night, Rep. Craig tripped and injured her ankle,” her chief of staff, Nick Coe, said in a statement. Craig was diagnosed with a bimalleolar fracture and ankle dislocation, he said.
Craig, 51, is due for surgery on Thursday, and his doctor has “advised him to fly before the surgery or immediately after,” Coe said.
In A declaration posted on Twitter Tuesday announcing his absence, Ross noted that the House had eliminated the ability for lawmakers to vote by proxy, which had been allowed during the pandemic. Ross also said she was “disappointed” that she could not vote in favor of the budget that President Biden had “negotiated to avoid a catastrophic default.”
The US government is expected to run out of money to meet all of its payment obligations on Monday if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling, according to Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen.
Craig is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, which describes itself as a “pro-economic growth” caucus that supports “fiscally responsible policies.” The group’s leadership announced its support for the deal and said in a statement on Sunday, “Compromise depends on give and take and this bill required give and take on both sides.”
The deal was brokered between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Biden, and is expected to rely on votes from House Democrats to overcome opposition from a number of Republicans in House hardliners who say the deal doesn’t do enough to cut spending.
Craig’s ankle injury comes about three months after he was assaulted in the elevator of his apartment building in DC.
During that assault, Craig fought off his attacker in part by throwing hot coffee at him, according to his office. She “also defended herself against the attacker and sustained some bruising, but she is physically fine,” Coe said at the time.
washingtonpost
