10.16.13

Hoeven: Congress Strikes Bipartisan Agreement to Address Government Closure, Debt Ceiling

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after passage in the U.S. Senate of a bipartisan agreement to address the government shutdown and debt ceiling:

“Today, the U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan agreement that reopens the government and extends the nation’s debt ceiling on a short-term basis. This will enable us to negotiate the type of long-term reforms needed to address our debt and deficit.

“The agreement includes:

  • A continuing resolution to keep the government fully running until January 15
  • An extension of the debt ceiling until February 7 and
  • A House-Senate bipartisan conference committee to produce a budget plan to address our spending and propose reforms to mandatory program spending.

“I pushed hard to get more savings and spending reforms included, but this agreement is as much as we could get at this time.

  • First, it preserves the Budget Control Act caps that have reduced discretionary spending to pre-stimulus levels
  • Second, it imposes a short timeline, putting pressure on Congress to come up with savings and reforms as part of any long-term agreement, and
  • Third, it sets up a process, through the House and Senate budget committees, to address our nation’s larger fiscal challenges, including reforms to mandatory programs, which constitute two-thirds of our entire budget.

“Today’s agreement restores important services for the American people and reaffirms the full faith and credit of the United States government to nations and markets around the world. But our work is not yet done. In the weeks and months ahead, we need to get our country on a more stable, more sustainable fiscal footing, for ourselves and for our children.”