Tester statement on debt commission vote

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after voting in favor of creating a bipartisan panel to recommend cuts to government spending and reduce the national deficit:

“For a decade, both parties have swept America’s debt problem under the carpet. And like most Montanans, I’m fed up with the mess.

“The only way to get our fiscal house in order is to put politics aside and work together to create good-paying jobs, making Wall Street work for Main Street.

“That’s why I crossed party lines to vote against the bailouts of Wall Street and the U.S. auto industry. And that’s why I voted today to create a bipartisan panel to recommend spending cuts.”

Tester voted for the bipartisan amendment—sponsored by Senators Judd Gregg, R-N.H. and Kent Conrad, D-N.D.—to create the 18-member debt commission.

Tester last week voted for a measure to end the 2008 bailout of Wall Street. He was the only Senate Democrat to vote against both the Wall Street bailout and bailout of the auto industry.