Republicans Overwhelmingly Support Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 by a vote of 332-94.
Over two-thirds of House Republicans supported the bill which cut the federal deficit by $23 billion and averted severe cuts to America’s military readiness. A majority of Texas Republicans supported it, including deficit hawks John Culberson and Jeb Hensarling, the former leader of the House conservatives.
“The biggest budget-buster facing America is ObamaCare, and it’s important that any budget agreement not distract America’s attention from the harm our families, doctors and local businesses are facing as they are forced to pay more for less health care under the destructive Affordable Care Act.
“This agreement rebuilds the readiness of our national defense, cuts the deficit and opens up the Gulf of Mexico for more energy development — all of which are important conservative principles. I’m disappointed that Senate Democrats refused to work with us to begin saving Social Security and Medicare.
“It also extends 100% of the mandatory sequester for two additional years and preserves 92% of the sequester for discretionary spending, which caps that budget at a level smaller than the conservative Ryan budget of 2011. Just as importantly, it blocks Democratic tax increases and prevents billions of dollars of more ‘emergency’ unemployment checks that are no longer called for under the law.”
Some of the $85 billion in savings from reforms to mandatory spending include:
- Forcing new federal government workers to pay a larger share of their retirement contribution.
- Requiring businesses to begin to shoulder more of the $36 billion unfunded liability in the taxpayer-guaranteed program that bails out private-sector pension plans.
- Closing loopholes in federal student loan programs
- Reducing fraud in the IRS and Medicaid.
- Preventing improper Social Security payments to prisoners.
Major General John Nichols, commander of the Texas National Guard issued this statement: “If the sequester were to play out in 2014 or 2015, the Department of Defense and the National Guard are concerned about our ability to defend America. This will help take the edge off that concern and enable us to maintain more forces keeping our soldiers and airmen trained and ready to fight.”
