Almost half of the U.S. Congressional delegation from Texas voted against the measure to increase the debt ceiling. The bill passed the House Wednesday; the Senate must pass the measure by Monday to ensure the U.S. does not default.
The measure would suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling for two years. The bill would also cap some spending and recover unused COVID funds.
Of Texas' 38 U.S. representatives, 18 voted against the measure: 14 Republicans and four Democrats.
"We will continue to fight it today, tomorrow and no matter what happens, there's going to be a reckoning about what just occurred," Rep. Chip Roy (R-Austin) said outside the U.S. Capitol during an event with other Republicans.
The measure also includes a work requirement for food stamps, but Rep. Keith Self (R-McKinney) said the requirement was not made permanent.
"We've been very proud of the work requirement," he said. "In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we've added permanent new exceptions. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand."
The four Texas Democrats who voted against the measure said the work requirement would cause people to lose access to a social safety net.
"While there were enough Democrats to pass the deal, this is the group of progressives that has pushed to make sure as few people as possible got harmed in this deal," Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) said Wednesday night.
A complete voting record on the measure is available online.
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