Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement regarding today’s votes on budget proposals in the House of Representatives:
“The Republican budget is wrong for Northwest Washington and is not the path we as a nation should pursue,” Larsen said. “The budget would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit and increase health care costs for seniors. It gives huge new tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans without paying for them. And it decimates vital investments in education, transportation infrastructure and scientific research.
“The budget is a statement of values, and it is clear what the Republicans are saying: They want lower taxes without paying for them and seniors to pay more for their health care. The budget would make it harder for middle class kids to go to college and for our scientists to research cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s. Americans soundly rejected these ideas last year, and I stand with them.
“We need a budget that creates jobs, invests in our future and reduces the deficit. I voted for the Democratic Budget that would create jobs immediately, build our infrastructure and invest in our future through education, innovation and support for small businesses. Our budget would protect Medicare for seniors and prevent Social Security from being privatized.
“I know full well that we need to reduce the deficit. I have steadfastly supported a bold, balanced approach to reducing the deficit and controlling the debt. Cutting the deficit does not mean we have to ask for only the poor, middle class and senior citizens to sacrifice. We need to follow a shared sacrifice approach. That means cutting or scaling back programs where appropriate and raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans who have so far been asked to give nothing in the face of this mounting crisis.
“The Democratic budget that I support adheres to the tight spending controls we created in the Budget Control Act and requires shared sacrifice from all Americans. The Democratic budget collapses the budget deficit from 8.7 percent of the gross domestic product in 2011 to under 3 percent by 2015.”
