Rep. Carney Statement On FY2013 Budget Proposals

Statement

U.S. Representative John Carney (D-DE) today released the following statement after voting on budget proposals for FY2013:

"Since arriving in Congress, the people of Delaware have been demanding that we address the precarious fiscal situation the country faces. To that end, I have spoken repeatedly on the House floor, written letters to House and Senate leadership, and had dozens of conversations with members in both parties in an attempt to generate support for a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement.

"In the last year, the conversation has clearly changed in Congress. Rather than debating how much we should reduce the deficit, there is now broad support in both parties from both chambers to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years -- a goal set by President Obama's bipartisan deficit reduction commission.

"There are a number of budget proposals for FY2013. None of them is perfect. But it is critical that we come together behind a reasonable ten-year, $4 trillion framework and immediately begin working on the difficult details. I believe that the Van Hollen and the Cooper-LaTourette proposals are both strong frameworks and deserve consideration. I am disappointed that the Cooper-LaTourette budget -- modeled after Simpson-Bowles and the only bipartisan proposal -- received just 38 votes in the House of Representatives yesterday. This is an indication of how much more progress must be made before a bipartisan plan can be enacted into law."

"It's time to move past politics and do what's right for the country. Both the Van Hollen and Cooper-LaTourette proposals are balanced, comprehensive, and fair. They include revenue increases and spending cuts. And they preserve critical investments in America's future without undermining our fragile economic recovery.

"Today's budget votes are only the first step. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the difficult but important work of putting our nation on sound fiscal footing."

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