WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after the Senate voted to suspend the debt ceiling until December, temporarily avoiding an unprecedented default on the national debt: 

“The full faith and credit of the United States must not be a political bargaining chip – ever. I am grateful that my GOP colleagues have ended their irresponsible blockade on suspending the debt ceiling, avoiding a default on debts we have all helped to accrue. This default would have created significant damage, including destroying millions of jobs and wiping out trillions of household wealth for families across the country. This issue is too serious for my colleagues to walk away from the debt they co-created for cynical political posturing; in the weeks ahead, we need to put partisanship aside and come together to avoid a devastating default. The American people and the global economy must understand that the United States will always pay what we owe.”

Long considered a thoughtful steward of taxpayer dollars and America’s economic strength, Senator King has been recognized as a “Fiscal Hero” from the Campaign to Fix The Debt.