Lankford, Lee lead letter to Biden on debt-ceiling talks

Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and 23 of their Senate colleagues sent a letter to President Biden expressing opposition to a debt-ceiling hike without real structural spending reforms that reduces deficit spending.

The Senators expressed their intention to abide by the policy of the Senate Republican conference, which states that “any increase in the debt ceiling must be accompanied by cuts in federal spending of an equal or greater amount as the debt ceiling increase, or meaningful structural reform in spending, such as the Prevent Government Shutdown Act or the Full Faith and Credit Act.”

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act is Lankford’s solution that would take government shutdowns off the table and require Congress to stay in town until all funding bills are passed and signed into law.

The Senators wrote, “Americans are keenly aware that their government is not only failing to work for them – but actively working against them. We do not intend to vote for a debtceiling increase without structural reforms to address current and future fiscal realities and manage out-of-control government policies.”

Lankford and Lee were joined by Senators Tommy Tuberville (RAL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (RNC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (RTX), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Rick Scott (R-FL), Rand Paul (RKY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Joni Ernst (RIA), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Tim Scott (R-SC).