Congressman Miller's Statement on House Defeat of Debt Ceiling Increase

Statement

This evening the House of Representatives defeated a measure to increase the national debt ceiling by a vote of 97-318, with seven Members voting present. The bill would have increased the debt ceiling by $2.406 trillion, from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion, without requiring any spending cuts or implementing budget reforms.

Following the vote, Congressman Gary Miller issued the following statement:

"All across the country, families and business owners have had to tighten their belts and make difficult decisions to get through these lean economic times. Unfortunately the government has failed to reign in its own spending resulting in trillion dollar budget deficits and a national debt in excess of $14 trillion.

Showing that they just don't get it, the Obama Administration has urged Congress to pass an increase in the nation's debt ceiling without any spending cuts or budget reforms attached. We were sent here to Congress to stop Washington's out-of-control spending and make difficult choices in order to get our nation's fiscal house back in order -- not enable the Administration to continue to borrow trillions of dollars that our children and grandchildren will have to repay.

To get our economy moving again and create jobs, the government must put an end to reckless spending, prioritize federal dollars, and implement meaningful long and short-term measures that will get our debt under control. Today's vote demonstrates to the White House that the American people will not accept the status quo of borrowing and spending money we do not have."

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