Washington, DC-U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement after his vote against raising the federal deficit ceiling by $290 billion. The expansion was approved by a 60-39 vote.

"In the last year, we have seen stimulus packages costing nearly $1 trillion, multi-billion-dollar bailouts, buyouts of private companies and trillion-dollar deficits. Federal agency budgets that were not approved last year received generous increases early this year. Those same budgets for next year are, once again, slated for large increases. The new administration has not even been on the job one year and we are already raising the debt limit for a second time, and this extension is only expected to buy another two months. It is time the federal government learns from the states and balances its budget instead of placing an ever-growing burden on the backs of future generations. There is a growing sense of fear and anger among Americans."

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