Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement today after voting against increasing the debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion. 

"In the three years since I took office, the national debt has increased by almost $5 trillion and has now surpassed our GDP.  Clearly, government spending is out of control.  I cannot support any request to increase the federal government's spending authority without a plan in place to bring this rampant overspending under control."

The vote to halt the debt ceiling increase failed by a 44-52 margin.  It only required a majority vote to pass.

Debt owed by the U.S. government now exceeds $15.24 trillion.

###