WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kansas’ two senators split their votes Thursday on the debt-ceiling agreement that was approved and sent to President Biden for his signature.
In separate statements, Sen. Jerry Moran said he reluctantly voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act, while Sen. Roger Marshall explained his opposition by calling it “reckless.” Both are Republicans.
Moran’s office released this statement:
“Reckless spending can be the demise of our country’s well-being and endless deficit spending will eliminate the American dream for our children and grandchildren. The Fiscal Responsibility Act is not legislation I would introduce. However, no deal is not a solution, and defaulting on the national debt in no way benefits Kansans or Americans.
“Defaulting on our debt would send a message to the world that we are a nation that cannot be trusted to pay our bills. China is watching our ability to govern and would like nothing more than for our standing in the world to be damaged due to default. It is vital to our economy and our national security that we do not default and we preserve the dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency. Governing in a divided government is challenging. It requires negotiation and finding common ground. Unfortunately, President Biden refused to negotiate with House Republicans for months in an effort to intimidate Republicans and pass an unaltered debt increase. This would have opened the door for the Democratic majority to spend even more with no strings attached.
“The debt-ceiling agreement does accomplish key conservative priorities that will benefit America and help put our nation on a better path towards fiscal responsibility. This legislation will slow the rate of spending through implementing non-defense caps, cutting COVID-19 relief funds, blocking new tax hikes, slashing billions in funding to the IRS, adding new work requirements for SNAP and promoting American energy production. Additionally, we must fulfill the most important responsibility of the federal government: to protect and defend our country and to keep our promise to the men and women who served our country. The debt-ceiling deal delivers on our commitment to support our veterans. The deal also secures the full funding for toxic-exposed veterans as authorized by the recently passed PACT Act.
“Raising the debt limit is not something I or any of my colleagues should take lightly. The debate cannot end with this vote. Congress should not have to wait for a crisis or the debt ceiling to consider fiscally responsible measures. The federal government must spend less, set limits and stop waste. This should become the norm for every Member of Congress and the President. Without a serious long-term plan and subsequent action to reduce spending, we will be back in this position way too soon and will jeopardize the American dream. We must confront this threat head on and – using the debt-ceiling deal as a blueprint – develop a more fiscally responsible legislative agenda.”
Marshall’s statement read in full:
“After careful consideration I cannot support Biden’s debt ‘deal.’ This legislation pours gasoline on the already burning inflation inferno and fails to adequately address our number one long-term national security threat, our nation’s crippling debt.
“Biden’s ‘deal’ misses the mark on almost every measure. It does nothing to address the cost of gas or groceries and completely ignores the crisis unfolding at our southern border. Simply put, this legislation does not address the problems Kansans are most concerned about. It actually makes them worse. At a minimum, we will still borrow $1.3 trillion from our grandchildren this year with minimal, if any, gains in rolling back regulations and even fewer gains in work requirements.”
“It’s time for us to stand up. This path of reckless spending is unsustainable.”
This debt ceiling ‘deal,’ that will increase our national debt by $4 Trillion, includes ZERO dollars to secure our southern border. To address this blatant oversight, Senator Marshall introduced an amendment to the debt ceiling package that is modeled after the Secure the Border Act. To much disappointment, the amendment failed to pass with a 46-51 vote in the Senate this evening.
“In the current debt ‘deal,’ ZERO dollars go to securing our southern border. Think about that. A bill that increases our debt by TRILLIONS fails to address our wide-open borders that has allowed cartels, criminals, and lethal fentanyl to pour into our communities and poison our children.”
“When thousands of unknown migrants escape into our country every week, we cannot waste time forming committees and praying about it. My amendment would build the wall, dismantle Biden’s catch and release policy, and restore law and order in our country making every American safer.”
