Press Releases

Sen. Rick Scott: Congress Cannot Increase the Debt Ceiling Without Major Spending Reform

July 21, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement demanding Congress take action to get America’s nearly $30 trillion federal debt under control and urging his colleagues to refuse to increase the debt ceiling without also enacting true spending reform. For months, Senator Scott has been warning of the dangerous consequences of Washington’s reckless spending and the nation’s rapidly growing debt. Today, the Congressional Budget Office released a report highlighting the dire nature of the federal debt crisis.

In April, Senator Scott secured an amendment to the rules of the Senate Republican Conference resolving that any increase in the debt ceiling should be accompanied by cuts in federal spending of an equal or greater amount as the debt ceiling increase, or meaningful structural reform in spending.

Senator Rick Scott said, “America’s nearly $30 TRILLION debt crisis cannot be ignored. Today, I am urging every member of Congress to protect the fiscal security of our nation by refusing to increase the debt ceiling unless it is accompanied by true structural spending reform. We must end the reckless waste of taxpayer dollars.

“We need real spending reform before we consider increasing the debt ceiling. We need reform like my Federal Debt Emergency Control Act, which prevents Washington politicians from mindlessly spending by requiring that two-thirds of the Senate vote to increase the debt before approving any bill. This isn’t political, it’s good government and it’s commonsense. Every fiscally responsible Republican and Democrat should be focused on the debt crisis before us. We cannot allow Congress to continue mortgaging the futures of our children and grandchildren.”

Since being elected to the U.S. Senate, Senator Scott has repeatedly urged action to address America’s debt crisis and the harmful effects of inflation:

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