FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2011
CONTACT: Rachel Semmel
Washington, D.C. – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) issued the following statement today after voting for a short-term continuing resolution which would fund our troops through the end of the year, cut an additional $12 billion in government spending, and prevent a government shutdown:
“Today I voted to take our troops out of the front lines of Washington’s political battles, cut more spending, and keep the government open. Senate Democrats have yet to support this or any budget resolution and our Commander and Chief has already said he will veto it without explanation. However, I will never compromise or stand down when it comes to supporting the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us.
“In addition to funding the troops through the end of FY2011, this stopgap measure will cut $12 billion more in Washington spending. At a time when our deficit is in the trillions and our government is on a verge of a shutdown, it is incomprehensible that Senate Democrats will not accept a modest budget cut that equals just two percent of this year’s budget.
“I want to encourage my friends in the Senate to pass this continuing resolution. The decision is simple: vote to pay our troops or walk away and let the government shut down.”
BACKGROUND:
The House has passed two bills that would keep the government running through the end of this fiscal year and cut $61 billion in job destroying spending. (H.R. 1, passed February 19th and H.R. 1255, passed April 1st). H.R. 1363 is the third bill out of the House to fund the Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year.
47 days after the House passed the first bill to keep the government running through FY2011, the Senate has yet to do the same.
The House has also already passed a measure that would not allow Members of Congress to be paid during a government shutdown (H.R. 1255)
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Forget The Budget, The Real Nightmare Comes Next Month, And The Stakes Are 1000x As High
www DOT businessinsider DOT com/the-debt-ceiling-debate-2011-4
A point that needs to be made: This fight over whether to shut down the government for a few days is chicken-scratch.
It’s low-stakes poker compared to the fight over the debt ceiling, which must be resolved by May 8, in just over a month.
Several GOPers have already said they won’t raise it without some “significant” concessions from The White House on the future of spending, and whatever good will John Boehner has to burn up in getting a budget passed will be taken directly from the appetite the GOP had in raising the debt ceiling.
The consequences are way more severe, potentially, than the shutdown of government. At the most extreme, it could lead to default. And if you figure that the market goes into a tizzy at the suggestion of, say, Greece defaulting, then the impact of the US should be easy to comprehend.
There’s no doubt that Boehner doesn’t want a disastrous outcome, but his challenge is in getting his more radical compatriots to come along with him.
So enjoy the theater of what we’re seeing now. It’s just the opening band.
Obama,” Working as planned.”
Ya can’t make a deal or an agreement with anyone who isn’t interested. Obama is the Commander-In-Chief. He’s the first one EVER to not care that the troops get paid. He shouldn’t be paid a penny while he let the troops go without their pay.
Obama eats gourmet foods and swigs expensive wines in total comfort while our guys eat dry MREs and sleep on the dirt. Disgusting.
He don’t care. The Democrat Party don’t care. If they did, they wouldn’t be voting to enable Obama.
“Obama eats gourmet foods and swigs expensive wines in total comfort while our guys eat dry MREs and sleep on the dirt. Disgusting.”
Bet it chaps your ass to know a black guy gets it better than you.
Klute,
What really chaps my hide is that we have an African in the White House willing to send American soldiers to Africa without paying them!
Nikstlitslepmur,
Even Rep. Allen West thinks your argument is full of ****.
But what I think you really meant to say was this:
“What really chaps my hide is that we have an African[-American] in the White House…!”
So I fixed that for you. You’re welcome.
Rep. David Schweikert, thanks.
Where are the other AZ reps, (R) and (D)? Were’s veteran Senator McCain fighting for our troops? If McCain is as effective as he claims to be, he’d be getting those bipartisan Senate votes lined up. Where’s the rhetoric? McCain gets on the TV all the time when HE wants something for himself.
And WHERE is the media blitz by the GOP to hammer this in the public square? It’s a hypocrisy-rich environment, worse, it emboldens our ENEMIES against our soldiers. The DEMOCRATS are the ones who have put us all in this weakened position, and they are the ones trying to keep anyone from stopping the national train wreck they seem determined to create.
David lost me when he participated in the McCain-Flake sham “get tough on the border” tour.
Democrats voted for the exact same thing in a stand-alone bill, without the budget cuts and ridiculous anti-abortion language that would only apply in D.C. If Republicans were serious about funding our troops, then they’d offer up a bill without strings attached.