As President Barack Obama presses for Senate Democrats to raise the federal debt ceiling without tying that vote to a significant deficit reduction plan, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) called on liberal U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) to tell Montanans where he stands.

Notably, Tester’s fellow Montana Democrat, U.S. Senator Max Baucus, has sided with President Obama over Montanans’ demands for commonsense deficit reductions. As Politico reports this morning, “Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said the GOP’s approach is “irresponsible,” saying any deficit-reduction package should move separately from a clean debt limit increase.”

But even some of the U.S. Senate’s most liberal members are calling for a rise in the government’s debt ceiling to be tied to the approval of a plan to reduce the federal deficit. As Politico also notes:

“Now it’s time to have that vote tied in with getting some progress on the long-term debt for the country,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who initially held out her vote in 2010 to increase the debt ceiling until Obama agreed to create a bipartisan fiscal commission. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who faces voters next year, has raised similar concerns. And a number of others who have voted in 2010 for a debt ceiling hike – including Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) – declined to directly say Tuesday if they’ll back the White House on a clean vote this time around.

“It’s time for Senator Tester to tell Montanans where he stands. Will he side with President Obama and Max Baucus, and vote to raise the national debt ceiling without tying that vote to significant deficit reductions? Or will Tester take this opportunity to finally backtrack on his liberal ways and do something about our government’s runaway spending?” said NRSC spokesman Chris Bond today.