Senator Lankford Opposes Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement on the Continuing Resolution (HR 1892), which includes the budget deal offered Wednesday by Senate Leadership that would increase the debt limit and roll back spending caps put in place in 2011:

“This budget deal shows the American people exactly how broken our budget and appropriations process is. It does not address our runaway deficits and actually takes major steps backwards in the fight to rein in Washington’s overspending appetite. Our budget process has only worked correctly four times since 1974. We desperately need budget reform. I’m ashamed that we have passed five continuing resolutions since the end of last Fiscal Year in September. This is no way to govern.

“Today’s passage of the budget deal will do some things that should astonish all Americans. Here are just a few. First, it extends the debt ceiling until March 2019, with no reforms and no change in financial direction. Second, it removes critical spending controls that were put in place back in 2011 that were designed to keep our yearly spending in check and not allow deficit spending to grow by more than $150 billion in a year. And third, it extends several special interest tax breaks to everything from Puerto Rican rum, to Hollywood studios, to racehorses. 

“While I strongly support the budgetary certainty and increased military funding that this bill provides, the long-term negative consequences of the bill are too many. The prevailing theme of debt ceiling negotiations is usually avoiding default, but lost in the conversation is how we got here in the first place, and how we can get out of the cycle of deficit spending. We must address our debt and deficit through cuts to wasteful spending, government reform, and a growing economy. Unfortunately, this bill fails to do any of those things.”

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