Representative Scott DesJarlais (TN-04) issued the following statement after voting against the Cut, Cap and Balance Act:

“I could not support the Cut, Cap and Balance Act in its entirety and therefore voted against it.

“While I do agree that we need to cut current spending, cap future spending at under 20% of our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and send a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment to the states for ratification, I simply cannot vote in favor of giving this president another 2.4 trillion dollars to continue his reckless government spending spree for the next year and a half.

“Furthermore, the Cut, Cap and Balance legislation does not provide a solid blueprint for where or how this $2.4 trillion increase will be spent. This would allow President Obama to run up two more years of trillion dollar deficits without making tough choices on where to cut spending.

“Our debt is the greatest national security issue currently facing our nation, yet President Obama still has not released a single plan to rein in his excessive spending. Until we can be confident that this president realizes his days of running up record deficits are over, I will not vote to give him the authority to borrow $2.4 trillion more on the backs of our children and grandchildren – enough is enough.

“To be clear, I fully support all three initiatives encompassed in the Cut, Cap and Balance Act and I look forward to voting for these measures in the future as standalone bills – not as a part of a deal that gives the president a $2.4 trillion dollar debt limit increase.

“The debt limit debate provides us with a real opportunity to finally prioritize government spending. We need to sit down and open up the books to look at what government programs we can cut or eliminate.

“I stand firm on my belief that any increase in the debt limit must be accompanied by both significant and immediate spending cuts that will give American job creators confidence that Washington is finally working to get its fiscal house in order.

“Every day, families across Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District are looking at their budgets and prioritizing where they spend their money. It is about time that government does the same.”