Lankford Statement on Debt Ceiling Vote

Statement

Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after today's vote in opposition to H. R. 1954, an unconditional increase of the statutory debt limit by $2.4 trillion. This bill to increase the debt limit did not contain any spending reductions or plans to cut future spending.

"Oklahomans did not send me to Washington to blindly increase our debt; my directive included being a part of solving the debt crisis, not prolonging it," said Congressman Lankford. "The President and many House Democrats have demanded a vote to raise the debt limit this year like they have done in previous years. The message of the debt vote tonight is that this year is not like last year. Congress must address the root causes of the debt.

"Any future legislation permitting us to surpass our national debt limit must have significant solutions included to have my support: current year spending reductions, medium-term structural budget changes, and long-term spending cuts that prevent the constant accumulation of future debt. Now that the House and the American people have overwhelmingly rejected an immediate debt increase, I encourage the President and congressional Democrats to join us in considering long-term spending cuts and real budget reforms that will return our fiscal house to order. We cannot escape the consequences of $14.3 trillion of debt in a single year, but we can immediately start the difficult process of working our nation out of endless deficit spending."

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