Press Release

While Republicans have now proposed a two week extension to keep the government open, we must stay focused on reaching a compromise to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Republicans must abandon the extreme and arbitrary cuts they called for in their spending bill that passed the House last week, and move closer to Democrats’ position of cutting spending in a smart, targeted way. I have talked to members of the Republican leadership, and I am hopeful we can resolve our differences on a long-term measure quickly so that we are not forced to continue funding the government in disruptive two-week increments that undermine efficiency. We need to seriously discuss how we can cut spending and invest in our nation’s future, and ensure that we continue the services which are essential to the American people and our economy. If we are going to get a handle on our nation’s deficit, we cannot continue to focus on a small portion of the budget. I hope Republicans will work with us to responsibly reduce the deficit and invest in the future of our economy.

I strongly oppose the Republican effort to defund the Affordable Care Act, which would take away critical new freedoms for consumers. The American people expect us to come together to create jobs and invest in our nation’s future. Yet the Republican spending bill—especially the amendments that would defund the health reform law and take away new consumer freedoms—makes the wrong choices for the American people.

Today, President Obama released his proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The president’s budget makes the tough choices we need to reduce spending and put our nation’s fiscal house in order; in fact, it would reduce our deficit by $1.1 trillion over the next decade. At the same time, however, the budget identifies those investments we need to grow our economy and create jobs—investments in out-building, out-innovating, and out-educating competitors around the world. President Obama’s priorities—protecting our fiscal future while investing in growth—stand in strong contrast to the priorities of Republicans. Their spending bill for the rest of this fiscal year would make indiscriminate and short-sighted cuts to the investments our economy needs to stay competitive. I hope that Republicans will, instead, work with President Obama to reduce our deficit without sacrificing America’s competitive edge.

This evening, Republicans announced a spending bill that would severely damage our economy’s ability to grow and create jobs. Democrats agree that spending cuts are necessary to tackle our deep budget deficit...

Today, the world witnessed a remarkable display of the power of ordinary people peacefully assembling to demand change. The resignation of Egypt’s President Mubarak is an inspiring and well-deserved victory for the protesters who have stood against his government. But Egypt’s future is still uncertain: the goal of a secular, democratically-elected civilian government, which keeps peace with its neighbors and meets its treaty obligations, will still take hard work and perhaps quite some time to realize in full. From my service as Chair of the Helsinki Commission at the end of the Cold War, I understand that the transition to democracy is an arduous process for any nation. That’s certainly true for Egypt, as well: its people’s work to shape their future is beginning today, not ending.

Tomorrow, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program will expire. As a result, tens of thousands of American workers will lose essential benefits on Monday—because Republicans have failed to extend this vital jobs program. American workers who have lost their jobs as a result of trade have been able to rely on the TAA program to train for jobs in new industries or pursue further education, helping them stay competitive in a changing economy. Democrats—who have been pursuing the Make It In America agenda to create good jobs here and rebuild our middle class—believe that programs such as TAA are essential to our national competitiveness and to economic growth. But Republicans would rather spend hours debating a symbolic resolution on the House Floor than stop TAA benefits from expiring. Once again, Republicans have failed to take job creation seriously.

This resolution directs House committees to review federal regulations for their effect on our economy. I agree with it—in fact, that’s oversight that committees should already be doing. Democrats believe that it’s important to vigorously review regulations to make sure they’re keeping pace with a changing economy—and that’s why President Obama has already issued an executive order that calls for such a review.

While we wait to see Republicans’ full proposal, what we’ve seen so far shows that they have not made the careful decisions necessary to ensure that while we cut spending, we do not cut investments in our economic future. Democrats believe we must reduce the deficit and cut spending, but not at the expense of the investments that will pay off tomorrow with an educated workforce, cutting edge research that keeps our economy the world’s leader, and a strong infrastructure.