Rigell Supports House Budget

Press Release

Today Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) voted for, and the House of Representatives passed, the FY16 Budget Resolution, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. The budget blueprint sets our country on a better fiscal path and protects our nation by balancing the federal budget while increasing defense spending, and places Congress on track to pass all 12 of the appropriations bills necessary to fund the federal government on time, a process known as "regular order." The bill also lays out reforms to mandatory spending, the principle driver of our nation's debt.

"The FY16 Budget Resolution reflects fiscal discipline and would reduce the deficit," said Rigell, a fiscal conservative who has spent much of his time in Washington trying to change the financial trajectory of our nation. "At the same time, it strengthens our national defense. Passing a budget is an important first step toward making Congress more functional, which is critical to our national security and our region. I thank Chairman Price for his leadership in ensuring this budget resolution was considered on the House floor."

The House-passed budget advocates for meaningful reforms to mandatory spending including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while ensuring the programs remain solvent for our generation and in the years ahead. Specifically, the budget would strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund by eliminating "double dipping" of Disability Insurance and Unemployment Insurance. The budget also saves $5.5 trillion over the next decade, about one-fourth of our current national debt, balances the federal budget by 2024, and increases defense spending above the President's requested levels.

Further, the budget would provide the next generation of Americans with Medicare premium support that allows beneficiaries to choose from a wider range of guaranteed coverage options, but makes no changes to current recipients' benefits or the coverage of those near retirement. Finally, it would repeal the (Un) Affordable Care Act in full, saving American taxpayers two trillion dollars and restoring $700 billion to Medicare.

"With every month that goes by, the need for a comprehensive, principled compromise and a wise fiscal solution to our nation's most pressing priorities becomes more clear and urgent. We must deal with and address the larger underlying issues we face, including the harmful, across the board defense cuts known as sequestration," said Rigell, who represents the Congressional district with the highest concentration of men and women in uniform, active duty and retired, in the country. "Advancing a budget in the House is a critical and necessary process, but a budget alone cannot undo these defense cuts. Sequestration is a law that was established under the Budget Control Act of 2011, and only a new law, passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President, can unwind it; not a budget resolution. I will continue working with leaders in both Chambers of Congress in the months ahead until we've reached a solution to partially or fully reverse sequestration."

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