FACT CHECK: Gallagher lies about never voting for a debt ceiling increase

U.S. Rep. and potential Wisconsin Senate candidate Mike Gallagher (R) falsely claimed to have never voted on debt ceiling increase despite voting for the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which raised the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion.

During an interview with USA Today from January, Gallagher commented on the debt ceiling situation currently embroiling the U.S. Congress.

“Increasing the country’s ability to borrow money could become the first major hurdle facing [Kevin] McCarthy,” Gallagher said. “Despite a broad consensus about the need to protect the country’s creditworthiness, Republicans try to use votes on the debt limit as leverage to curb spending and oppose raising the debt limit even when they are in charge. I’ve never voted for a debt ceiling increase, and I won’t unless it’s paired with meaningful reform.”

Gallagher made similar claims on The Hugh Hewitt show and the American Enterprise Institute’s “What The Hell” podcast shortly after Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the House in a tumultuous process. However, not only did Gallagher vote for the Bipartisan Budget Act in 2018, which increased the debt ceiling by $1.53 trillion according to FactCheck.org, he criticized his Republican colleagues who voted no.

“I know I’ve only been here a year. I literally got lost trying to find this place here today,” Gallagher said in a 2018 press conference. “But it strikes me that it’s always easy to vote no. You can always find some excuse to vote no on a bill. But the American people sent us here to ride to the sound of the guns and to fix problems like this no matter how difficult that may be. So thank you.”

If Congress does not reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling by the projected June 1  deadline, the United States will default on its debts and possibly send the world economy into a collapse. Naturally, Democrats and Republicans are seemingly miles apart on negotiations, and Republicans like Gallagher are trying to position themselves as heroes against “rampant Democratic spending.”

In a recent Tweet from his press office, Gallagher positioned himself and Republicans as if they are “fighting for sensible reform.”

Democrats reckless spending helped turbocharge inflation and max out the nation’s credit.

Rep. Gallagher and House Republicans are fighting to rein in radical spending and responsibly raise the debt ceiling. pic.twitter.com/1JBswmGKHK

— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) May 23, 2023

Gallagher is thought to be the frontrunner to take on Tammy Baldwin (D) in 2024, as the Republicans are eager to flip that seat in the next election cycle.