Senator Blunt says he and other Republicans won’t be voting to raise taxes to fix the federal government’s budget problems as the deadline to raise the debt ceiling looms. Blunt says it’s not even worth debating with Democrats, because he says the Obama Administration had the chance to increase taxes when there was a majority of Democrats in Congress.

Blunt says he doesn’t have the option to close tax loopholes in order to make the budget work – especially because so many of them expire in six months. He says it’s also just not fair to those who are relying on the tax break.

Blunt says taking spending down to 2008 levels, when Republicans had the majority, would solve the budget problems. He says he didn’t hear anyone in 2008 saying the federal government wasn’t spending enough money.

Blunt says Obama is a little late to the game to be involved in talks about the budget, but says Obama will have to compromise on raising taxes if he wants to come to a solution – saying Obama will have to do what he needs to do, not what he wants to do.

Blunt and other members of Congress will be voting on the budget and on whether or not to raise the debt ceiling in the next few days.

 (AUDIO) Allison Blood reports Mp3 :59