Coats Votes No on Debt Increase Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) today issued the following statement after voting against the Budget Control Act of 2011:

“After much thought and consideration, I decided to vote against the Budget Control Act. I did not take this vote lightly. I listened carefully to the concerns of thousands of Hoosiers who called my office and wrote to me to share their opinions.

“The bill falls significantly short of what is needed to address the severity of this financial crisis. While I am disappointed with the final legislation, I believe progress has been made in this debate. The culture of Washington is changing from ‘what can we spend’ to ‘where can we cut.’ This is a step in the right direction and I am optimistic that we can carry this momentum in the months ahead.

“The real work begins today. My sleeves are rolled up. I will continue to push to rein in government spending, reform the tax code to create economic growth and restructure entitlement programs to prevent them from becoming bankrupt and denying important retirement benefits for Americans.

“Congress must commit to address the root causes of our debt. We must make the difficult choices necessary to restore economic growth and good paying jobs for the American people.”

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