WASHINGTON – North Dakota’s congressional members explained their support for passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 after the House and Senate voted to approve the legislation and raise the debt ceiling.

“While we would have preferred more savings, this legislation is far better than a debt ceiling increase with no spending reforms that the president first demanded, and is a step in the right direction as we continue working to rein in spending and control the debt and deficit,” Sen. John Hoeven said.

“Failure to raise the debt limit would force the United States’ first-ever default, rattle markets and delay pay and benefits for our military, veterans, and seniors,” Sen. Kevin Cramer said. “Default is not an option, but neither is a blank check. This strikes the right balance, and I commend Speaker McCarthy for the cuts and reforms he achieved. Now it is time for Congress to build on this momentum by getting back to regular order, funding our national defense and governing responsibly.”

“This bill is far from perfect, but with Republicans only controlling one half of one branch of government, it has many conservative wins and is a step in the right direction to bringing fiscal sanity back to Washington,” Congressman Kelly Armstrong said.

The legislation constitutes the largest spending cut in history, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It reduces the deficit by $2.1 trillion over six years, without cuts to national defense or veterans programs, and makes the most significant permitting reform in 40 years, the N.D. delegation reported.

Hoeven said the agreement enacts real permitting reforms and sets clear timelines for federal reviews – two years for an Environmental Impact Statement and one year for an Environmental Assessment – to prevent delays and reduce costs for energy and other infrastructure projects, which is why the North Dakota Petroleum Council supports the legislation.

“This will make it easier to get needed infrastructure in the ground that will help producing states like North Dakota get our products to market,” Armstrong said.