Mitt Romney, who has been noticeably quiet during the debt-ceiling debate, issued a statement today in opposition to the current deal that would hike the debt ceiling.
“While I appreciate the extraordinarily difficult situation President Obama’s lack of leadership has placed Republican Members of Congress in, I personally cannot support this deal,” Romney said in a statement this morning.
He said that if he were president he would have a “cut, capped, and balanced budget” and criticized the current deal for “open[ing] the door to higher taxes and put[ting] defense cuts on the table.”
Michele Bachmann announced her opposition to this latest deal last night, saying that Obama’s deal “spends too much and doesn’t cut enough.”
“Everywhere I travel across the country, Americans want less spending, lower taxes to create jobs, and they don’t want us to raise the debt ceiling. The president continues to press for a ‘balanced approach,’ which everyone knows is code for increased spending and taxes. Throughout this process the president has failed to lead and failed to provide a plan,” Bachmann said.
“Someone has to say no. I will,” she added.
Jon Huntsman announced his support for the current deal, saying it was “a positive step toward cutting our nation’s crippling debt.”
“Because the legislation promises cuts commensurate with the debt-ceiling increase, forces a vote on a much-needed federal balanced-budget amendment, and provides the only avenue to avoid default, I encourage members of Congress to vote for this legislation,” Huntsman said in a statement released last night.
Huntsman also had some pointed criticism for others involved in the debate, noting “Some of my opponents ducked the debate entirely, others would have allowed the nation to slide into default, and President Obama refused to offer any plan.”
Referring to the joint super-committee that would be formed to introduce a new plan before the second debt-ceiling hike went forward, Huntsman said he would push members to propose a plan “that includes real cuts, entitlement reform, and revenue-neutral tax reforms — without any tax hikes.”
UPDATE: Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant weighs in, calling the debt deal “nothing to celebrate.”
“Only in Washington would the political class think it’s a victory when the government narrowly avoids default, agrees to go further into debt, and does little to reform a spending system that cannot be sustained by our children and grandchildren. While no further evidence was needed, this entire debt-ceiling fiasco demonstrates that President Obama must be replaced,” Conant said in a statement this morning.
UPDATE II: In regard to the new debt deal, Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner says, “Governor Perry supports the cut, cap, and balance approach.”