Sen. Cruz: Now Is the Time to Take a Meaningful Step on the Road Toward Fiscal Sanity

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) today participated in a press conference calling on the Senate to vote on the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act this week. They were joined by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). The bill would formally rescind almost $15 billion in unneeded spending identified by the White House. 

“President Trump has stepped forward rightly and submitted a rescissions package to Congress,” Sen. Cruz said. “The House of Representatives has done its job and passed that rescissions package of $15 billion. Now it’s time for the Senate to do our job.”

Sen. Cruz’s full remarks may be viewed here and below:

“When we entered the 21st century, the national debt was $5 trillion. When George W. Bush came into office, it had taken him 41 presidents before him - over two centuries – to accumulate $5 trillion in debt.

“Eight years later, when George W. Bush, a Republican left the White House, $5 trillion had doubled to $10 trillion. 

“Then of course, we had President Barack Obama, a Democrat, who once again doubled the national debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion. 

“It is worth reflecting, over two centuries to get to $5 trillion and then Republicans and Democrats together quadruple the debt in just 16 years. 

“Enough is enough. What we are doing is immoral. The former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has described the national debt as the greatest national security threat facing our country and we need to stand up and stop it. The beauty of it is we have a vehicle that can start down this road. That can make a meaningful step. 

“President Trump has stepped forward rightly and submitted a rescissions package to Congress. The House of Representatives has done its job and passed that rescissions package of $15 billion. Now it is time for the Senate to do our job.

“Now the challenge of course with any efforts at fiscal responsibility in the Senate is the filibuster rules. Under the filibuster rules, the Democrats are able to stop legislation through the regular order.

“The beauty of using rescissions is it cannot be filibustered. That means the Democrats cannot stop this first step toward spending restraint and fiscal sanity. All we need to do to pass this is have our Republican majority stand together and deliver on our promises.

“I’m proud to be standing here with my friends and colleagues who are urging every Republican, and for that matter, every Democrat - with a $21 trillion national debt, surely we can cut $15 billion. 

“This is a first step, a step we need to take, and I hope the majority moves forward, takes it up, passes it, and does so swiftly.”

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