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Rep. Bill Foster Statement On House Budget Votes

March 21, 2013

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) released the following statement on the House budget votes:

“Unfortunately none of the budgets presented this week represent the kind of workable and humane compromise needed to balance our budget and support our economic growth.

“The budget proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan, and supported by House Republican leadership, would be devastating for seniors and middle class families and would stunt the economic progress we’ve made in the last five years. Estimates show the Ryan plan would decrease economic growth by 1.7 percent and cost two million jobs next year alone. While it creates new corporate tax breaks that we don’t need, it would increase taxes for middle class families by as much as $3,000. And it would end the Medicare guarantee, destroying an essential safety net that seniors rely on.

The proposed Democratic budgets include good measures to protect Social Security and Medicare, invest in research and development and replace the mindless, across the board sequestration cuts, but don’t do enough to balance the budget and reduce our debt.

“As we have seen, we can’t successfully govern with partisan proposals that are only supported by one party. It’s time for Congress to come together and find a balanced approach that reduces our debt and balances the budget without setting back our economic growth and placing the burden on the middle class.”

Today Congressman Foster also voted for the Continuing Resolution to continue funding government operations through the remainder of the fiscal year.