Post by bot on Sept 10, 2017 21:22:47 GMT -5
Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference with House Budget Committee Democrats and NDD United to Raise the Caps
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee John Yarmuth (KY-03), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), Vice Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and members of NDD United to call on House Republicans to raise the harmful sequester caps, keep the government open, and invest in our nation's priorities. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
“Good afternoon, we’re a little late because we just participated in a briefing on the challenges that confront the global community, America certainly, but the global community in the Mideast, Southeast Asia, and, of course, in North Korea.
“I say that because none of us, when the sequester caps were adopted, in my opinion, using poor and bad judgment, could have contemplated the challenges that we now confront, which means that being locked into these sequester caps is irrational, unreasonable, and dangerous on both the security side of the budget and on the non-security side, which I would argue is equally important in terms of our national security.
“Today, we repeat the call that we issued in May, raise the caps. In fact, we ought to eliminate the caps, and we ought to have rational budgeting in which we decide, Mr. Ranking Member, and Vice Ranking Member Jayapal, what the priorities of this country need to be. This majorities’ approach to budgeting and approach to appropriations sows uncertainty, in large part because it fails to follow regular order.
“But it also embraces the dangerous politics of sequester on the domestic side of the ledger while blowing through the caps on the defense side. Doing so adds to the deficits and risks further ballooning our debt in a way that our military leaders have said puts our national security in danger over the long term. We just heard that. And by restricting investment in our domestic priorities, we shortchange our people and communities over both the immediate and long terms.
“Instead, we are calling on the Majority to embrace the principle of parity. That’s what the Ryan-Murray budget agreement decided we were going to do – a bipartisan agreement that made sure that we’re investing in education, in health care, in the environment, in law enforcement, and other priorities of the federal government, which may not be on the national security side of the ledger. Let’s remember that all of our diplomatic and international funding, all comes from the domestic side of the budget as well. These are crucial to securing our national interests.
“Democrats will continue to insist on parity and on raising the caps, so we can invest in our country and in its people. I will remind my friends in the Majority that since taking control of Congress they have been unable to enact a single funding bill without Democratic support. They will need to seek compromise and consensus if they’re going to govern, which is, of course, their responsibility as the majority party. That means embracing parity and working with Democrats to keep the government open and avoid default. That is why the Speaker made the agreement with Senator Murray, which allowed us to move forward.
“I want to thank everyone who is here today for helping to send this important message: that we cannot afford to short change America’s future. I’m pleased now to turn it over to my dear friend, the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, who has done such a good job.”