10.30.15

Hoeven Statement on the Agreement to Raise the Debt Ceiling and Spending Caps through 2017

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to his vote against suspending the debt ceiling until March 2017 and lifting the Budget Control Act (BCA) caps on discretionary spending for two years:

“Today, I voted against the budget agreement announced this week because it does not include the savings and reforms we need to address the deficit and debt. This agreement suspends the debt ceiling and will allow our debt to exceed $19 trillion by 2017. We need to do more to get the deficit and debt under control.

“Also, while I support addressing the Medicare Part B premium and Social Security Disability fund, which was included in the legislation, we could have done that through regular order. This year, for the first time since 2008, Congress passed a budget resolution. It balances the budget in 10 years, and strikes a balance on funding national priorities, like defense and safety net programs for our seniors and those in need without raising taxes. The Senate has also passed all 12 appropriations bills out of committee, largely with bipartisan support. These actually included strong funding for our military and did not reopen the farm bill. I am concerned that the current agreement reduces the crop insurance program by $3 billion after we worked so hard last year to find $23 billion in savings in the last farm bill. The crop insurance program has been reduce by $12 billion since 2008 and should not be reduced further. We will now work to address that in the omnibus at the end of the year.”

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