Ruppersberger: Parties Must Compromise to Avoid Government Shut-Down

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) released the following statement on the threat of a government shut-down if a spending bill known as a continuing resolution does not pass Congress by the March 4th deadline:

Let's face the music: we can no longer avoid making the tough decisions required to get our nation's debt under control. The budget discussion is not about whether or not to cut -- it's about what to cut. We can't just take a sledge hammer to the entire budget. We must identify what is working and get rid of what is not. These cuts must be smart and forward-thinking. Our priorities must be creating jobs and improving the economy.

I agreed with some of the cuts contained in the spending bill that passed the House on Saturday, but we can't throw out the baby with the bathwater. This bill includes unacceptable provisions that will undermine our progress. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this bill will eliminate nearly 800,000 jobs and slash appropriate investments in job-rich initiatives like education, security, our global competitiveness and rebuilding our nation's infrastructure.

The bill cuts critical assistance to state and local law enforcement. It cuts billions in port and transit security, which harms the Port of Baltimore and BWI Airport. It cuts Chesapeake Bay clean-up funding by 20 percent, reduces border security funding and eliminates a program for homeless veterans. The bill will drastically reduce recipients of Pell Grants, which enable thousands of Marylanders to afford college. It also jeopardizes key investments in rebuilding aging infrastructure, costing Maryland more than 3,000 jobs.

Now that the bill has passed the House, it's up to House leadership to work with the Senate to reach a compromise, without which the government will shut down. Government shut-downs hurt all Americans. Hundreds of thousands of workers would lose their pay, small businesses would be harmed and veterans may not receive their benefits. To avoid a government shut-down, House leadership and the Senate must compromise on a reasonable bill that reduces spending but protects the investments necessary to restore American prosperity. We all have to be work together to make sure vital services to our constituents are not halted.

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