Murkowski Statement on Budget Votes
Senator Backs Efforts to Tackle Mandatory Spending Reforms
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the United States Senate considered different budget approaches, Senator Lisa Murkowski voted against the proposal from Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), releasing the following statement afterwards:
“This week in the Senate, what was debated were two competing visions for our nation’s fiscal future. Not exact spreadsheet budgets with dollars and cents details, but blueprints to help map out the road ahead.
“On one hand, you had Senator Patty Murray’s approach which did not address our deficit in any serious way and added $1.5 trillion dollars in taxes –spending cuts seemed to be almost an afterthought. I believe and have said that no responsible plan for our nation’s balance sheet can ignore our mandatory spending increases through Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that continue to rise to the point where they are choking our economy. Even the Washington Post said Senator Murray’s budget gives ‘No reason to believe that Democrats have a viable plan for — or even a responsible public assessment of — the country’s long-term fiscal predicament.’
“While the Republican proposals were far from perfect, I did vote for a blueprint that addresses these concerns to get our spending under control and start digging us out of this financial hole. We must place our nation on a path towards financial stability and an environment where our economy cannot just grow, but flourish with pro-growth tax policies and more balance in our spending.
“As I told Alaskans at my economic town halls across the state, any solution to our debt must include comprehensive pro-growth tax reform, federal spending cuts and a reevaluation of our mandatory spending programs to allow them to survive without threatening our economy as a whole. Our budget must reflect this balanced approach.”
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