Today, the House passed the Budget Conference Report (S.Con.Res. 13) by a vote of 233-193. The budget makes important investments to strengthen our economy and our country while cutting the deficit by nearly two-thirds by 2013. On April 2nd, the House passed the initial FY 2010 Budget Resolution, H.Con.Res. 85.
The budget conference report reflects President Obama's economic plan, a blueprint for economic recovery and new jobs now–and sustainable economic growth and prosperity for years to come.
For the first time in years, we will have an honest budget that:
creates jobs with targeted investments in affordable health care, clean energy, and education
cuts taxes for middle-income families by more than $1.7 trillion over 10 years
cuts the deficit by nearly two-thirds in four years
cuts non-defense discretionary spending as a percent of the economy
Learn more about the Budget legislation>>
Speaker Pelosi:
Speaker Pelosi:
“So here we are today, with a budget before us that creates jobs, reduces taxes, and takes us on a path toward lowering the deficit. It does so in the most transparent way of any budget in our country's history and certainly in this Congress' history. And as it does so, it focuses on those three pillars of the Obama agenda — education, health care and energy.”
Leader Hoyer:
Leader Hoyer:
“This budget puts America back on the path of fiscal responsibility. It's no secret that past budgets have made easy choices and kicked the difficult ones down the road. This budget has to live with the legacy of those easy choices, on issues including the AMT and the Medicare doctor fix. But by passing this budget, we will be leaving a different legacy: one that makes clear that our government must pay for what it buys.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT):
Rep. DeLauro:
“We began to bring that desire for change with our economic recovery program, and we continue on that path by providing a blueprint in this budget that will bring tax relief to hard-working families across this nation, and make investments in health care, education, energy and elsewhere that are needed to move this economy from recovery to long-term growth. Our friends on the other side of the aisle will decry this budget, claiming that it will burden future generations with crippling debt. But let’s be clear. It was under their leadership that a 5.6 trillion dollar surplus turned into the historic budget deficit that President Obama and this Congress inherited, a deficit of well over one trillion dollars in 2009. If you listen to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, they were missing in action over these last eight years. It is hard to believe that they were in charge. It is a little bit like ‘See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.’ They were gone from the playing field over these last eight years.”
Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX):
Rep. Edwards:
“By significantly increasing funding for the VA, and allowing for the first time advanced appropriations for VA medical care, this resolution meets the highest priorities of America’s heroes, our veterans. A vote for this budget resolution is a vote to honor and respect America’s veterans, they deserve that vote, they have earned that vote with their service and their sacrifice.”
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA):
Rep. Scott:
“It took us eight years to get into this ditch, we have an urgent situation, and this budget will cut the deficit in half in four years. That’s not the end of it, that’s not enough, but for one year’s work, that’s certainly a good step getting us out of a ditch that took us eight years to get us into…we have in the last eight years, the worst job performance since the Great Depression, huge deficits as far as the eye can see, and we’re taking a major step in the right direction. I would hope that we would adopt the budget so we can get on the job of restoring the economy and balancing the budget.”