WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and 42 Senate Republican colleagues expressed a collective commitment to oppose raising the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms in a letter to Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“It is now clear that Senate Republicans aren’t going to bail out Biden and Schumer, they have to negotiate. I thank my colleagues for joining my effort to emphasize this point in the clearest possible terms,” wrote the senators.
Cassidy and Lee are joined by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Katie Britt (R-AL), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Scott (R-SC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).
Read the full letter below:
Dear Leader Schumer,
The Senate Republican conference is united behind the House Republican conference in support of spending cuts and structural budget reform as a starting point for negotiations on the debt ceiling.
Our economy is in free fall due to unsustainable fiscal policies. This trajectory must be addressed with fiscal reforms. Moreover, recent Treasury projections have reinforced the urgency of addressing the debt ceiling. The House has taken a responsible first step in coming to the table with their proposals. It is imperative that the president now do the same.
As such, we will not be voting for cloture on any bill that raises the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms.
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