Cantwell Renews Call for Fiscal Responsibility After Senate Fails to Pass Debt Control Measures
WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) criticized the Senate’s failure to reinstate “pay-as-you-go” rules. The rules would require new mandatory spending and tax cuts that increase the deficit to either be paid for or pass by at least 60 votes. The amendment to reinstate these simple rules, introduced by Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) to the pending Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2007, failed narrowly on a 50-50 vote.
“Republican leaders have once again put a roadblock in the way of fiscal responsibility,” said Cantwell. “The bottom line is that our budget is still in deficit, our debt is still climbing, and we need a sound framework to get back on track. We need to put some guidelines in place if we’re going to avoid passing our debt and mistakes on to our grandchildren and their children. I’ll continue to try to return common-sense rules to the budget process.”
Cantwell has repeatedly worked to get spending under control by restoring these simple rules, which expired at the end of 2002 after being enacted in the early 1990s. Cantwell has voted regularly to shift funds to deficit reduction.
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