Votes Against Both R and D Proposals – Neither Represents a Viable Path Forward
Saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans had come up with an acceptable plan for funding the government through the end of the year, Mark Udall today voted against proposals drawn up by leaders in both parties. He released the following statement after the vote:
“It’s time for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to trade their swords for pencils and start working together on a viable plan to fund the government over the next seven months. Given our current fiscal situation, that plan needs to include reductions in spending – but not cuts that are so deep they’ll kill jobs and short-change our economic recovery. The proposals presented today by both parties fail to meet that test, and that’s why I opposed them both. I’ll continue to work alongside senators from both parties to reach a common-sense agreement.
“Some of the smartest budget advisers have already pointed out that Congress’ fights over this year’s spending plan are like arguing about the bar tab on the Titanic. The real challenge we face is our long-term debt, and for that we need a comprehensive approach. While we must begin tightening our belts today, discretionary budget cuts alone are not the recipe for sustainable debt reduction. That’s why I pushed for the creation of the president’s bipartisan commission on reducing the national debt, which strengthens Social Security and addresses spending on all fronts. As a result of that commission’s work, we have a responsible set of recommendations developed after a great deal of research and thought. That is where we should be focused.”
Udall is working as part of a bipartisan group of senators calling for an up-or-down vote on the president’s bipartisan debt commission. He also continues to fight for other proposals to control spending, including a presidential line-item veto, pay-as-you-go spending, a ban on earmarks, and a balanced budget amendment. More information on his fight to cut spending and reduce the debt can be found HERE. [1]
Please contact Tara Trujillo or Jennifer Talhelm at (202) 224-4334.