Schumer has voted against raising the debt ceiling four times

Sen. Schumer is among those screaming the loudest about how irresponsible it is to vote against raising the debt ceiling. For example, in January, he claimed:

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said that threatening to deny an increase in the government’s debt ceiling would be “playing with fire.”

“If we didn’t renew the debt ceiling, our soldiers and veterans wouldn’t be paid, social security checks wouldn’t go out,” the New York Democrat said yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program. “Worst of all, we might permanently threaten confidence of the credit markets in the dollar, which would create a recession worse than the one we have now, or even a depression.”

In April, Schumer claimed that not raising the debt ceiling could cause a recession. Apparently, today, Schumer made similar statements to what he made in January.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said that Boehner was “playing with fire” and risking repercussions in the markets by not saying he would approve a debt ceiling increase. Schumer also belittled Boehner for saying that there needed to be an “adult conversation” about the debt. “Speaker Boehner needs to have an adult moment right here and now,” Schumer said in the report. . . .

Yet, Schumer had voted against increasing the debt limit four times himself. Once when Clinton was president and three more times when Bush was president (1997, 2003, 2004, and 2006). At least the vote in 2006 was pretty close.

· H.R. 2015, Roll Call Vote #241: Passed 270-162, 6/25/97, Schumer Voted Nay

· H.J. Res. 51, Roll Call Vote #202: Passed 53-44, 5/23/03, Schumer Voted Nay

· S. 2986, Roll Call Vote #213: Passed 52-44, 11/17/04, Schumer Voted Nay

· H.J. Res. 47, Roll Call Vote #54: Passed 52-48, 3/16/06, Schumer Voted Nay