Washington, DC — U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released this statement after the House passed the Bipartisan Budget Act:
“Shortly after sequestration, or automatic, across-the-board spending cuts, was put in place, I began my first term in Congress. Since then, I’ve continued to speak out against sequestration because I have seen the damage these cuts have had on our military readiness and our ability to prioritize spending. You don’t have to look any further than Central Illinois to see the impact funding cuts are having on our military. On August 21, 2017, Petty Officer Logan Palmer of Harristown became one of 80 servicemembers to lose their life due to an accident or training incident last year – nearly four times the number of combat related deaths in 2017.
“Today, Congress voted to end the irresponsible process of sequestration and a two-year budget that allows us to stop crisis governing through short-term continuing resolutions. Instead, this budget agreement sets funding levels that allow us to adequately train and equip our military and reprioritize spending to tackle some of our nation’s most critical issues. In this budget, we commit to rebuilding our infrastructure, fighting the opioid epidemic, finding cures for our most deadly diseases, and fixing the VA.
“Our debt and deficits are real issues in this country that should not be ignored. But the majority of our debt isn’t driven by discretionary spending, or funding levels we set in Congress, it’s driven by mandatory spending, which is automatic spending that continues whether or not the government is funded. We have to continue to find ways to reform mandatory spending and address our country’s debt.”
Secretary of Defense James Mattis warned Congress that failing to lift the defense spending caps would continue to risk our national security. Click here to learn more about the impact these cuts have had on our military.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Budget Act by clicking here.
