Democrats Committed to Deficit Reduction While Protecting th

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Democrats Committed to Deficit Reduction While Protecting the Middle Class, Focused on Keeping Our Nation Safe



MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
I was disappointed this week when Senate Republicans followed their House counterparts and overwhelmingly voted in support of the House Republican budget that ends Medicare and more than doubles health care costs for seniors. The Republican budget has the wrong priorities and tries to bring down the deficit on the backs of seniors while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and preserving unnecessary subsidies to oil companies making record profits. Democrats agree we must address the deficit, but the Republican budget is the wrong choice. I gave a speech this week at the Bipartisan Policy Center to offer my thoughts on elements that should be part of any deal to reduce the deficit. I hope in the coming weeks Republicans will work with us to bring down deficits while supporting job creation, growing the economy and ensuring America’s families can make it in America.

This week, the House passed legislation that provides our Armed Forces the resources they need to keep our country safe and support our military families. I voted for this legislation, but I have concerns about some of the parts of the bill that don’t help make our nation safer, including reopening the issue of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” an overly broad expansion of the President’s powers to use military force, and limiting the tools in our tool box to fight terrorism. I also supported an amendment that would have required the President to provide information to Congress on plans to transfer lead security responsibility to the Afghans. While the amendment didn’t pass, it received bipartisan support.
Sincerely yours,

STENY H. HOYER