Colorado lawmakers split on debt ceiling vote in Congress

(Photo: Courtesy of US House)

Conservatives complained that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) moved a bill to raise the debt ceiling that didn’t include any Republican policy priorities.

Some rank-and-file Republicans were demanding the bill include changes to the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), energy policy or a proposal to increase pensions for veterans.With none of those additions and without any effort to cut spending, Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and every other Colorado Republican opposed the bill.

“There ought to be some kind of offsets," Coffman says. "I think the debt ceiling ought to be associated with a path to bring down the deficits and unfortunately it’s not here.”

Colorado Democrats rallied around President Obama, who repeatedly said he wouldn’t accept any policy changes in the bill.