Rep. Tom Rooney Questions Administration's Latest Doomsday Date on Debt Ceiling

With a Florida congressman among them, more Republicans are resisting Obama administration claims that immediate action is needed to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

"When you say the drop-dead day is going to be in August, I question that," Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, told the Wall Street Journal.

Rooney, whose quote appeared on the WSJ's front page Friday morning, is speaking out with other skeptical congressman who say the administration has lost credibility by shifting debt-ceiling deadlines.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said last month that the government would hit the $14.6 trillion debt ceiling on May 16. Then the doomsday date was moved back to July 8 with the aid of "extraordinary measures." Then, last week, he said the Treasury could postpone default until Aug. 2.

"People who were saying, 'These dates are fuzzy' got more ammunition," Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., told the Journal.

Meantime, President Obama continues to ignore GOP calls for immediate budget cuts. Instead, he wants a "clean" debt limit increase devoid of any accompanying spending reductions.

A new Gallup poll shows that by a 47-19 margin, Americans want their member of Congress to vote against raising the debt ceiling. Republican voters oppose raising the debt ceiling by 70-8 and independents oppose by 46-15. Democrats favor raising the ceiling by 33-26.