Rep. Scott Peters Supports Two-Year Budget Deal, Calls on Congress to Get to Work on Long-term Fiscal Issues

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) released the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan two-year budget deal that also suspends the debt ceiling until March of 2017:

“Since coming to Congress, I have fought to end the misguided, arbitrary, across-the-board cuts known as sequester, particularly given the harm they have on our military readiness and the ability of national security leaders to effectively plan for the future. I supported today’s deal because it gives necessary sequester relief to both the military and numerous domestic programs that have struggled to provide needed services to working families in San Diego.

“Importantly this deal also avoids the economic disaster that would ensue from breaching the debt ceiling, which we are just days away from again. Suspending the debt ceiling until 2017 allows the economy to continue its upward growth without fear of a credit downgrade or massive upheaval. We should use the intervening period to pass my debt-ceiling bills that limit the ability of Congress to play games with our nation’s credit while forcing real conversations about reducing our long-term national debt.

“I do have strong objections to the way this deal was negotiated -- by party leaders behind closed doors and with zero input from the vast majority of Congress -- and with some of the budgetary gimmicks that are used to ‘pay’ for some of the increased spending. Congress should get its act together and start the necessary work now instead of waiting for the next self-inflicted crisis deadline to arise.”

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