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WASHINGTON (WPRI) — Wednesday is Congressman David Cicilline’s last day in Washington after more than a decade.
Cicilline is stepping down to become the next president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, but he has one more big vote ahead of him with the full House set to vote on the debt ceiling deal.
The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 to advance the bill and House passage would send it to the Senate.
The measure needs to be approved before June 5, when the Treasury Department could run out of money to pay its debt for the first time in U.S. history.
President Joe Biden told Democrats they drove a hard bargain but during Cicilline’s exit interview on Newsmakers, he said he thought his fellow Democrats in the White House “fumbled” this one.
“I wish the president had said, because I think it’s very clear from the language of the Constitution, the 14th Amendment obligates us to honor the debts of the United States,” said Cicilline.
“I think if the president had said at the beginning, of course the 14th Amendment is available to me, I’m going to negotiate in good faith, but if not I’m going to use that, he would have had significantly more leverage at the negotiating table,” he continued.
Ever since Cicilline announced he was stepping down, a lot of candidates announced they are looking to win the seat.
The special primary for Cicilline’s seat will tentatively be held on Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day. The special election will follow on Nov. 7, in line with a standard election year.
There will be three weeks of early voting before both the primary and the general election.
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