U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
Saying it’s not perfect, but it is progress, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) plans to vote in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act announced by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) last week.
“It is high time that we return to greater levels of certainty about our economy and our levels of government funding,” Baldwin says. “You know, it was horrendous for our economy and our citizens to have these fiscals cliffs, the government shutdowns, the idea that we might be on the brink of defaulting on our debt obligations.”
The Democrat from Madison says this deal helps to break the current destructive pattern of drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. Along with certainty, Baldwin says it’s important to show that members Congress can function together.
AUDIO: There’s been a lot of criticism for one particular part of the bipartisan budget agreement. It would reduce by 1 percent the cost-of-living adjustments for military retirees who are not yet retirement age. Baldwin says it’s part of compromise. 1:10
Baldwin is disappointed that there’s no expansion of the Unemployment Insurance benefits, but she’s hopeful lawmakers can address that in January. She says there is “obviously” a lot left to do. “I guess I’d describe it as the cuts and the burdens have been arbitrary, and that low-income and middle class Americans have shouldered far more of the burden of attacking our debt than they ought to and this sets us on a path to be able to make a more prudent set of decisions.”
Baldwin says this agreement invests in middle class families, reduces the deficit, and rolls back the arbitrary cuts of sequestration that have slowed economic growth and cost our economy jobs.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:39
Wisconsin’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Ron Johnson, will also support the budget deal.