Twenty-four GOP senators warn they will oppose debt limit increase without fiscal reforms

Nearly half of the Senate Republican Conference has signed on to a letter to President Biden warning they will not vote for any bill to raise the nation’s debt limit unless it’s connected to spending cuts to address the nation’s $31 trillion debt.  

The letter, led by conservative Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), says it is the policy of the Republican conference that any increase in the debt ceiling must be accompanied by cuts in federal spending or “meaningful structural reform in spending.”  

“We, the undersigned members of the Senate Republican Conference, write to express our outright opposition to a debt-ceiling hike without real structural spending reform that reduces deficit spending and brings fiscal sanity back to Washington,” the senators wrote.

They cited the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would automatically provide continuing appropriations to fund government if Congress fails to pass spending legislation by the end-of-year deadline, and the Full Faith and Credit Act, which would prioritize federal payments in case Congress doesn’t raise the debt limit, as “meaningful structural reform.” 

“We do not intend to vote for a debt-ceiling increase without structural reforms to address current and future fiscal realities, actually enforce the budget and spending rules on the books, and manage out-of-control government policies,” they wrote. 

The letter, which was not signed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), gives public support to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) effort to negotiate fiscal reforms with the White House in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.  

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (Wyo.) signed the letter but Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), two other influential members of McConnell’s leadership team, did not.