Shameful Threats Underscore Broken Promises, Reckless Deficit Spending

As a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006, Democrat Jon Tester promised Montanans that he would “lead efforts to balance the federal budget.”  Instead, it’s been 806 days since Tester and his fellow Senate Democrats passed any federal budget, much less a balanced budget – during which time our national debt has ballooned to a record-high $14.3 trillion.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury now reports that our federal government’s deficit is on track to top $1 trillion this fiscal year.

But rather than take responsibility for his broken promises and failure to perform this basic job function, Tester and his Washington party bosses are now threatening to withhold payments from Social Security recipients and members of our armed forces, unless Republicans agree to their demands for job-killing tax hikes.

As the Associated Press reports:

Echoing President Barack Obama’s warning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Social Security payments would stop if there is no deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit by Aug. 2.  Speaking on the Senate floor, the Nevada Democrat said flatly that payments for veterans benefits and the military, as well as Social Security, would cease if the government defaults on its obligations. His statement goes beyond Obama, who said earlier this week that he could not guarantee Social Security checks will be issued on Aug. 3.

As National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) noted yesterday, “the decision to stop sending Social Security checks, or other benefits lies solely with the Obama Administration” because billions of dollars will continue to flow into the government’s coffers every day, a fact acknowledged by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. 

“Jon Tester is the one who rubberstamped President Obama’s failed stimulus debacle and $2 trillion health care overhaul, driving our national debt past its $14.3 trillion limit, so it’s outrageous that he and his party bosses would threaten to stop payments to Montana seniors and members of our armed forces unless Republicans agree to President Obama’s job-killing tax hikes,” said NRSC spokesman Chris Bond today.  “Once again, Tester is playing politics in Washington at the expense of Montana families.”