WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statement regarding today’s vote to raise the federal debt ceiling by $480 billion through December 3rd:

“I will not help Democrats raise the debt ceiling to fuel their reckless deficit spending. The debt limit crisis is a crisis of their own making. This is their mess to clean up.”

Background: Democrats have the power to unilaterally raise the U.S. debt limit at any time through the power of reconciliation. Republicans have maintained for months that if Democrats want to deficit spend trillions of dollars without Republican input, they must raise the U.S. debt ceiling alone.

In August, Senator Risch signed a letter pledging not to vote to increase the debt ceiling “whether that increase comes through a stand-alone bill, a continuing resolution, or any other vehicle.” A debt ceiling increase will be necessary because of Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree that will cost over $5 trillion and increase the federal debt to $45 trillion by 2031.

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