What The Debt Deal Means: Senator Jim DeMint

Fellow Conservatives:

The debt deal has been made and now Congress has adjourned for the August recess. I wish I could tell you that our principles prevailed, but they didn't and there's no honest way to put a happy face on the outcome.

The final agreement, which the President signed into law yesterday:

• Raises the debt limit by as much as $2.4 trillion;
• Allows the debt to continue to grow by $7 trillion over the next decade;
• Creates a new, 12-member "super-committee" with the power to force major tax increases through Congress;
• Threatens our AAA bond rating; and
• Never balances the budget

Washington is addicted to spending and it's a bipartisan addiction. The debt deal passed the Senate with 74 votes -- 46 Democrats and 28 Republicans. You can see the full results at SenateConservatives.com.

Some of you are outraged. Many are discouraged. In fact, a number of you have emailed me asking what this means for our cause, where we go from here, and what we should do next.

I believe it confirms that many of our elected leaders in Washington are the problem, and the only effective strategy to solve it is to elect new senators who truly share our values and have the courage to fight for them.

You helped us do exactly this last year and I'm proud to report that all five of our 2010 winners voted against the debt agreement. These men stood shoulder-to-shoulder throughout this debate and fought for a balanced budget.

If you have time, please take a few minutes today to call their offices to thank them for their courage and to urge them to keep fighting. Taking a stand like they did can be isolating at times and it's critical they know patriots like you are standing with them.

• Pat Toomey (R-PA) -- (202) 224-4254
• Marco Rubio (R-FL) -- (202) 224-3041
• Rand Paul (R-KY) -- (202) 224-4343
• Mike Lee (R-UT) -- (202) 224-5444
• Ron Johnson (R-WI) -- (202) 224-5323

I am also happy to report that both of the U.S. Senate candidates we have endorsed for 2012 -- Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R-OH) and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R-TX) -- publicly opposed the debt deal.

Conservatives fought for the right policies throughout this debate and forced the President and the entire Washington establishment to respond to our arguments. Our opponents even felt compelled to parrot our message of less spending.

Our strategy of electing rock-solid leaders to the Senate is working. Now we need to expand it so the policies enacted in Washington actually match the rhetoric coming out of it.

The awful outcome of this debate is discouraging, but it makes me want to work harder than ever to elect more leaders who have the courage to balance the budget. We can bring real change to Washington but it means changing the people we send there.

I hope you will continue to be a part of our team and help us recruit more Americans who will help us take our country back.

Respectfully,

Jim DeMint
United States Senator