Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa) has made this statement regarding the recent partial government shutdown and the fiscal state of the nation.
If you followed the recent goings-on in Washington this past month, you are aggravated. I understand. This has been a frustrating time for me, and for anybody who wants to see our country on a sustainable fiscal path.
After almost three weeks in shutdown mode, Congress extended government funding and raised the debt ceiling by several hundred billion dollars with nothing to show for it – no reforms that rein in our country’s deficits and debt, no spending constraints, no changes whatsoever.
While this result is disappointing, I hope we will see a more fruitful outcome in December as members of the House and Senate meet over the next two months to iron out a budget. I will serve as a member of this conference committee. While the chances of us reaching an agreement are uncertain, I will be adamant about the need for fiscal discipline.
We need to keep the 2011 bipartisan spending caps in place. However, I’d like to give the administration and agency managers greater flexibility to prioritize, fund, or cut programs under these caps. Finally, to ensure that we do not face another shutdown in the future, I will be working to pass legislation that will keep the government funded if Congress does not pass appropriations bills.
We must stop lurching from crisis to crisis. Our country needs less spending, not more. Washington needs more commonsense governing, not less. Most of all, the American people need leadership. I believe we can take real steps to avert future fiscal cliffs and shutdowns while holding fast on modest spending restraints. Finding common ground on reining in spending, without sacrificing principles, is possible. I will work with members of both parties to achieve it.