Speaker Boehner Calls For Spending Cuts To Be Tied To Debt Ceiling

Today, Speaker of the House John Boehner published an op-ed in USA Today calling for spending cuts to be included in any plan to raise the debt limit.

“Coupling efforts to reduce America’s debt and deficit with increases in the debt limit is a common-sense policy that was used under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton — and President Obama.

‘The American people know that Washington has a spending problem, and they won’t support another increase in the debt limit without meaningful action to reduce spending and reform government.

‘The Congressional Budget Office tells us that the federal government will spend $640 billion more than it takes in this year. Over the next 10 years, CBO estimates we will borrow and spend $6.3 trillion more.

‘The American people know that our deficits and debt are hurting our economy and costing jobs. They want their elected leaders to take meaningful action to reduce spending.”

It is simple math: we cannot keep spending money that we don’t have. House Democrats aren’t fazed by decades of trillion-dollar deficits, that’s why they’ve voted against balanced budgets and responsible plans to bring fiscal sanity to Washington.

We need a strong Republican majority to rein in government spending and ensure future generations aren’t burdened with unfathomable debt.