Statement on Debt Limit Deal

Statement

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement today regarding his vote in opposition to the new version of the Budget Control Act of 2011:

"Last week I made the difficult decision to compromise and voted for Speaker Boehner's plan. While the Boehner plan was not perfect, it was a realistic approach and a step in the right direction. Among other things, it required passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution before a second increase in the debt ceiling.

"However, the legislation before us today was not quite as good. By contrast, today's deal only requires a Balanced Budget Amendment to be voted on -- not passed. I hope the Democrat controlled Senate will pass a Balanced Budget Amendment as a common sense solution to solve America's debt problem, but it is far from certain. Additionally, there is a provision which, if there is congressional inaction, would allow President Obama to effectively raise the debt ceiling an additional $1.2 trillion, triggering an equal amount of blind cuts.

"After thoroughly reviewing the legislation and hearing from constituents, I came to the conclusion that I should not vote for this bill."

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