Griffin: House Approves ‘Targeted, Common-Sense Savings’ Plan to Protect U.S. Servicemembers, National Security

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after House passage of the National Security and Job Protection Act (H.R. 6365):

“As recent events have illustrated, threats to our nation’s security are not receding, and Americans recognize that looming defense cuts – as a result of sequestration – will devastate our military.  Today’s vote, which would allow us to replace the indiscriminate defense cuts with targeted, common-sense savings, is another example of how my colleagues and I in the House are fighting to protect our military despite resistance from the President and his Senate allies.  The men and women who wear the uniform in defense of this nation deserve more than the President’s inaction on this critical issue.” 

H.R. 6365 would repeal the across-the-board defense and non-defense spending cuts scheduled to occur on January 2, 2013.  Specifically, it would require enactment of the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 (H.R. 5652) or any legislation that offsets the automatic sequester with equal or greater spending reductions over the next five years.  The bill itself would not repeal the sequestration without the enactment of further legislation.  However, it would ensure that if any legislation were enacted to replace the sequestration with alternative spending reductions, the sequestration would be canceled.  In the event that the sequestration is replaced, the bill would lower the discretionary spending cap for FY 2013 from $1.047 trillion to $1.028 trillion.  H.R. 6365 would also require the President to submit a plan to replace the sequestration with alternatives by October 15, 2012.