Senate Republican Budget Promotes Prosperous Energy Future, Strengthens National Defense
‘Every budget is a compromise. This one is surely that. But it’s a good compromise. It embraces growth. It reaches for a more prosperous energy future. It positions our nation for a better outcome than we’d see otherwise on defense.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Republican budget that will help promote economic growth through energy advancement, and will add additional funding for America’s national security needs:
“Throughout the Obama era, families across the country have had to make a lot of tough decisions.
“Lost jobs or lower wages meant doing more with less, and refocusing on what truly mattered.
“It wasn’t easy, but families made the best of difficult situations in order to position themselves for greater success in better days to come.
“Meanwhile in Washington, you saw record levels of overspending, trillion-dollar deficits, and historic levels of debt. Hardworking families made tough choices while the Obama Administration and its allies aimed to keep right on overspending.
“It was more than just wrong, many would say it was unfair. But today, Democrats can join together with Republicans to help rectify the inequity. Instead of having Washington play by one set of rules, and the Middle Class by another, we can force Washington to start confronting big challenges — just like everyone else has to.
“We can force Washington to focus on serving the Middle Class again, instead of the other way around.
“And we can begin by passing the balanced budget before the Senate today.
“This balanced budget pivots on an essential truth — that Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem — and strives to make government more accountable, more efficient, and more accessible. It represents a significant step forward when it comes to solving our country’s many fiscal challenges.
“But that’s just one reason this balanced budget is so important.
“Here’s another: it will help promote economic growth right now, and promote sustained opportunity into the future.
“It aims to do so in a variety of ways.
“One is promoting energy advancement as an engine for growth.
“The energy revolution is truly historic: it’s creating thousands of jobs, lowering costs for the Middle Class, and helping lift many into it. This budget embraces that progress. It aims to remove needless barriers to environmentally responsible energy development. And I expect other members to come to the floor and discuss the energy component in greater detail today.
“I also expect members will come to discuss funding America’s national security needs.
“As we know, there are a numerous threats facing our country:
“Terrorism, practiced by groups like ISIL, Al Qaeda, and its associates.
“Iranian efforts to advance its ballistic missile program, pursue a nuclear weapon, and sponsor terror.
“And Russian and Chinese attempts to expand their spheres of influence, which will require us to modernize our force.
“We must eventually give the Defense Department the certainty it needs to modernize the force. Members continue to work toward solutions for funding defense in the most robust and predictable way possible.
“But I commend Chairman Enzi and Senator Graham for providing us with a path forward in the interim. Their proposal represents a good faith compromise to begin the legislative process for the defense authorization bill we will consider later this year — when the additional overseas contingency funds can be prudently reallocated against the actual procurement and modernization needs of our military, if only for the coming fiscal year.
“Short of revising the BCA, this is the best strategy to keep faith with our armed services. And this is the best option we currently have for leaving President Obama’s successor in a better position to face so many global challenges.
“Every budget is a compromise.
“This one is surely that. But it’s a good compromise.
“It embraces growth. It reaches for a more prosperous energy future. It positions our nation for a better outcome than we’d see otherwise on defense.
“It’s bold, yet balanced.
“And it aims to change Washington’s focus: away from the needs of big-spending politicians, and toward the aspirations of hardworking Americans who are right to demand a government that’s efficient, accountable, and focused on growth.
“This budget is all of those things. I urge all of our colleagues to support it.”
Related Issues: Middle Class, America's Military, Al Qaeda, China, ISIL
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