Sen. Cruz: We should not be complicit in digging this nation further into debt
Addresses Senate Floor to Reiterate Importance of Thorough Budget Debate
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today addressed the Senate floor to reiterate his concerns about the House budget being brought up, replaced, and sent directly to conference, going around the Senate’s full debate and amendment process and opening the door to additional procedural shortcuts.
Yesterday on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid sought consent to set aside regular order and send budget legislation straight to conference, where he can use reconciliation instructions.
Sen. Cruz objected on the grounds that such action would enable Democrats, as the majority party, to use reconciliation to raise taxes or the debt ceiling with only 50 votes. Proceeding through the regular process would require 60 votes to pass either of these measures. Sen. Cruz today clarified that he would not object to the bill going to conference, as long as Majority Leader Reid would agree not to use it as a back door tool to raise taxes or the debt ceiling. However, Sen. Reid has not made any such promises.
“When the economy is struggling so mightily, it would be profoundly damaging to millions of Americans to raise taxes yet again on top of the $1.7 trillion in new taxes that have already been enacted in the last four years. And with our national debt approaching $17 trillion, larger than the size of our entire economy, it would be deeply irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling yet again without taking real steps to address our fiscal and economic crisis,” Sen. Cruz said.
“If done through reconciliation, the majority could increase taxes or the debt ceiling with a 50-vote threshold rather than needing 60 votes. The American people already saw Obamacare pass through back room deals and procedural tricks. It should not happen again.”
The senator added, “Let me be explicit: We have no objection to proceeding to conference if the leader is willing to agree not to use it as a back-door tool to raise the debt ceiling. The American people are rightly tired of back-room secret deals to raise the debt ceiling even further, and we should not be complicit in digging this nation even further into debt on merely a 50-vote threshold.”
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