Larsen Supports Budget Compromise

Washington, DC, April 14, 2011
Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after voting for a budget compromise to fund the government for the remainder of the 2011 Fiscal Year.
“Earlier this year I set a goal for myself to implement a forward thinking plan for long term economic growth that works for us in the Pacific Northwest through investments in skills and knowledge of people, support for innovation, and infrastructure all in order to maintain U.S. economic leadership in the world. I will keep working to achieve this goal by pushing for a responsible budget that will grow our economy and fuel private sector job growth by making key investments.
“I supported this budget compromise because it takes a balanced approach towards tackling our debt and deficit problem while preserving our economic progress and critical job creation efforts.
“I am pleased that the compromise protects essential initiatives like support for our manufacturers and critical student loans that are helping to grow the economy, create jobs and help hardworking families in Northwest Washington.
“The compromise includes $448 million that will go directly to closing the backlog of veterans’ claims at the VA.  Making veterans and their families wait for weeks or months on end to receive compensation they have earned cannot happen, and I am glad to see this money included.  Additionally, I was pleased that the bill restored funding for HUD-VASH vouchers. This program is one of the most successful at getting – and keeping – homeless veterans off the street and into permanent housing.  If we are to meet the goal of ending veterans homelessness, we will need strong support for these types of programs.
“The budget compromise protects the Pell Grant program as we know it, which will allow students in Northwest Washington to continue to count on this critical student aid to help them achieve the dream of higher education.
“Debts and deficits matter. We need to control spending if we want to get serious about tackling our deficit and controlling our debt but we need to do it in a balanced way. I voted for this budget compromise because it is a more balanced approach to reducing spending than the Republicans’ proposal for the 2012 budget which will eliminate Medicare.”
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