Dan Coats: “I am going to wrap up because my colleagues want to speak also. But, let me say this: I have been saying from this…”

“I am going to wrap up because my colleagues want to speak also. But, let me say this: I have been saying from this platform, and I have been saying from everywhere people will listen that we need to move to a solution to the problem. The solution to the problem involves, I believe, three or four essential elements, and I think there is widespread consensus on this among liberals, conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, economists, and others. Unless we address that which is growing out of control--which is our mandatory spending--no matter what we do on the spending level and no matter what else we do, we are not going to solve this problem and we are going to keep careening from short-term fix, short-term measure to the next one, from fiscal cliff to fiscal cliff. Already, we have another cliff which people have not paid much attention to at the end of this month, where we have to fund the government for the rest of the year. That will be another drama, soap opera, played out before the American people. In May, we hit the debt limit. None of this is necessary.…”