Special Edition E-News From Congressman Murphy

Statement

Dear Friend,

At this hour, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the President have concluded negotiations on a bill that would provide funding for government agencies through September 30, 2011. Through this difficult process we've achieved an agreement on the largest spending cut in history, totaling $38.5 billion.

While the details of the yearlong spending bill are being drafted for consideration on the House floor next week, a temporary weeklong funding measure has been adopted, averting a shutdown of government operations at midnight.

Substantial spending cuts were resisted by the Senate and the White House up until the midnight hour before funding for the federal government expired. The importance of making spending reductions for the current fiscal year is a significant point to emphasize. The road to fiscal recovery starts with a spending bill for this year at an amount that can serve as a baseline for future budgets. If our country is to get on a sustainable path, it is essential that Congress makes the difficult decisions by enacting spending cuts today.

I am heartened that we won't disappoint our military families who serve in defense of this nation. With this stopgap measure, we can now continue to draft a longer term budget with substantial budget cuts without shutting down the government down to do so. While every soldier would have been paid in a shutdown scenario, a budget stalemate carries real consequences for their families because military pay would be interrupted during an impasse. That's why on Thursday, I supported a spending bill which passed the House to fund the Department of Defense for the remainder of the year. I've also signed onto a stand alone piece of legislation that would prevent disruption to military pay, H.R. 1297, the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act. This legislation would guarantee military personnel continue to receive pay in the event of a government shutdown.

I promised to be open and honest with my constituents, and part of that honesty is letting people know that the status quo of massive deficit spending is simply not an option anymore. The struggles of the negotiations have been worth the results. I remain committed to achieving solutions that put our country on a sound fiscal path while minimizing the disruption that week-to-week funding bills may have on your everyday life. I often say that "representative" is not just my job title; it's a job description. Towards that end, anyone who seeks to ask a question, register an opinion, needs assistance with a federal agency, or petition their government is encouraged to call, write or stop by offices in Mt. Lebanon and Greensburg. I have also posted at my website, Murphy.House.Gov, frequently asked questions regarding the effects of a potential lapse in government services.

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