Santorum: Budget deal is 'short-term' band-aid'

By Alexandra Jaffe - 01/02/13 11:58 AM ET

Former Republican presidential nominee Rick Santorum slammed the budget deal passed late Tuesday to avoid the impending tax increases and budget cuts known as the "fiscal cliff," placing the blame for what he called a "short-term band-aid" squarely on the shoulders of congressional Democrats.

"Last night's actions in the House and Senate were only our elected officials kicking the can down the road rather than make meaningful changes on spending cuts and tax reforms. As well-intentioned as it may be, the compromise passed by the Senate and House is at best a short-term band-aid and at worst a prescription for further economic decline in our country," he said in a statement.

Santorum charged that "President Obama and the Democratic leadership showed no courage by refusing to tackle the real fiscal challenges we face."

"When given the chance to reform entitlements, Obama and the Democrats said no. When given the chance to fight for meaningful tax reform, they said no. And when given the chance to work towards finding a solution that won't burden our children and grandchildren with trillions of new debt, they said no," he said.

Conversely, Santorum said he "know[s] great efforts were made by Senate and House Republicans to deliver a better package," despite the insufficient end product.

The deal to prevent the nation from going off the fiscal cliff passed the Senate early Tuesday morning on an 89-8 vote, with five Republicans and three Democrats voting no. Later Tuesday night it passed the House on a 257-167 vote, with 85 Republicans in favor and 151 voting against it. Sixteen Democrats voted no.

The only long-term solution, Santorum said, is to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, a proposal occasionally pushed by conservative Republicans as a way to reduce the national debt and improve the nation's economic health. A balanced budget amendment would require that any budget passed by Congress not spend more than the government brings in in revenue.

Santorum suggested such a measure should be a part of the next legislative battle, over increasing the debt ceiling, that will likely take place in the coming months.

"It is clear that under the current rules of the game in Washington combined with an absence of leadership, our country needs structural changes to force leaders to do what is in the best long-term interest of our country. That is why there should be not a single vote for any deal to avoid the real fiscal cliff — the debt ceiling increase — without the passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution," he said.