The U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening voted 81-18 Wednesday evening to raise the debt limit put an end to the 16-day Federal Government Shutdown. Kansas’ two U.S. Senators, both Republican voted on opposite sides.
Voting to end the shutdown was U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Manhattan. Moran released the following statement shortly after the vote:
“I share Kansans’ frustration with Washington’s habit of crisis-to-crisis governing. This latest standoff offered a rare opportunity for Congress and the President to change course, make real reductions in spending, lower federal deficits, and address the unfunded liabilities that threaten U.S. solvency. Unfortunately, none of that happened.
“The American government should never default on its debt obligations, but unless we find the courage to restrain our country’s out-of-control spending, that’s exactly what will happen.
“This good-faith deal calms fear of default for now, but we must take advantage of the next 90 days to finally work together and get our spending under control. Without action to begin addressing our staggering debt and deficits, our country will inevitably default in the future because we will no longer have the ability to pay our bills.
“It’s a sad day in America when Washington must choose between economic catastrophe now and economic catastrophe later. A better way does exist, and I pray Washington will muster the discipline to pursue it.”
Voting against the bill was Senator Pat Roberts who expressed frustration with Obamacare which is in its third week of enrollment and renewed his call for former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to resign from her current post as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration. Senator Roberts released this statement:
“We are $17 trillion in debt, and looming mandatory spending obligations threaten to increase our debt exponentially,” Roberts said. “The current shutdown and debt crisis are severe, but if we fail to address government spending, we will be looking at a permanent shutdown. We will be faced with bankruptcy.
“Debt limits were put into place to encourage debate and negotiation over out-of-control government spending. This deal breaks with that spirit.
“It is startling that the president continues to deny that there are catastrophic problems with Obamacare. We are going to see more problems pile up, and I see no way out for Kansas families because the problems are so large and systemic. I renew my call on Secretary Sebelius to resign in light of the failures that she repeatedly ignored.
“This deal fails on spending. This deal fails on Obamacare. Future negotiations based on this deal will likely fail as well. We cannot afford to kick the can down the road again.”
