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Tester, Daines react to U.S. Senate vote to raise debt ceiling

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Montana's U.S. senators were split when it came to voting Thursday evening on a resolution to raise the nation's debt ceiling and avoid a default.

The agreement could be ready for President Joe Biden's desk soon. Senators wrapped up voting late on Thursday night preparing the legislation to be ready for the president by Friday. 

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who voted in favor of the measure, released the following statement:

“Defaulting on our debts is not an option because doing so would crash our economy, wipe out Montanans’ retirement accounts, and raise costs on our state’s families and small businesses at a time when folks are already struggling with rising costs. So while this is not the bill I would have drafted myself, Republicans and Democrats came together to craft this agreement that invests in health care for veterans and cuts the deficit.”

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), released the following statement after voting against the debt ceiling deal:

“Washington, D.C. has a spending problem and as a result, our country faces an existential crisis of a nearly $32 trillion national debt and record inflation. Solving this crisis will require real and meaningful spending reform. Failure to do so will result in terrible consequences for our children and grandchildren. I opposed the debt ceiling bill because it does not make enough progress toward stopping reckless Washington spending.”

On Wednesday, the House voted by a 314–117margin in favor of H.R. 3746, which, if signed into law, would raise the debt limit for two years and cut spending on some discretionary programs.

Montana's two Republican Representatives, Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke, voted against the measure when it came before the U.S. House.

- Reporting from Scripps News included in this report.