Washington, D.C. – Senator Ron Johnson (WI) today commented on the Senate vote not to begin debate on the House-passed Cut, Cap, and Balance Act:

 “Today, Senate Democrats voted together to block increasing the debt ceiling and prevent enacting real fiscal discipline. They voted to continue Washington's business as usual which is bankrupting America.  They have failed to show the American people their plan to restore fiscal sanity to this nation, and yet they refuse to allow a debate on legislation that two-thirds of Americans say they support.

 “Today’s vote shows that Senate Democrats are simply not serious about getting our fiscal house in order.

 “We must enact hard spending caps that provide the discipline to force Washington to prioritize spending. The Cut, Cap, and Balance Act provides that discipline. It cuts spending next year, establishes caps to limit the growth in spending over the next ten years, and then increases the debt ceiling contingent on the passage of a Constitutional Amendment to limit spending and balance our budget.  74 percent of the American people understand that the only long-term solution is a Constitutional Amendment. 

 “Senate Democrats have succeeded at temporarily ending this debate today, but the Cut, Cap, and Balance debate is not going away.  Fiscal conservatives will continue to fight hard until fiscal discipline is returned to Washington.  It is time for Senate Democrats to allow this debate and let the American people decide.”