Chief negotiators say a bipartisan budget agreement would avoid another government shutdown.
House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) says he and Senate Budget Committee chairman Patty Murray (D-WA) have been talking all year before reaching a two-year budget agreement — and all that “hard work,” he says “has paid off.”
Ryan announced the plan late Tuesday afternoon. “This bill reduces the deficit by $23 billion and it does not raise taxes and it cuts spending in a smarter way.”
Ryan calls it a “clear improvement on the status quo.” He says they focused on common ground among the two political parties, and says “it’s a step in the right direction.” He says, “That means to me a budget agreement that reduces the deficit without raising taxes and replaces some of the arbitrary, across-the-b0ard spending cuts with smarter, permanent reforms that pay for this relief. The House budget reflects our ultimate goals. It balances the budget within ten years, it pays off the debt, but,” Ryan continues, “I realize that is not going to pass in this divided government. I see this agreement as a step in the right direction.”
Instead of arbitrary cuts, Ryan says this agreement makes targeted reforms, eliminates waste, stops giving checks to criminals, cuts corporate welfare, and reforms some mandatory programs.
AUDIO: Ryan says the agreement reduces the deficit without raising taxes. And it cuts spending in a smarter way “and I ask all my colleagues in the House to support it.” :27
The two-year budget agreement would avoid government shutdown in January and provide certainty to businesses and families, according to Ryan.
This agreement does not address an extension on unemployment benefits. It does ask federal public employees to pay more for pensions. A vote on the deal is likely later this week.