Congressman Mike Conaway Gives Statement on Budget Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman K. Michael Conaway issued the followed statement regarding his vote in favor of the Budget Agreement:

"I supported the budget agreement because the status quo is unacceptable.  Under the sequester our military faces an indiscriminate slashing of resources, which is putting the men and women in our armed forces in unnecessary danger.  The sequester was supposed to be offset by targeted cuts in wasteful spending, but instead, these indiscriminate cuts are hollowing out one of the few essential functions of our federal government – our national defense.  Failing to offset the sequester in 2014 and 2015 will result in a military that is too small, too poorly equipped, and too poorly trained to safely defend our nation.

"Besides partially offsetting the sequester for two years, this legislation makes several important policy changes.  It ends a subsidy of private pension plans, requires federal employees to contribute more to their own retirement, repeals unnecessary government programs, and prevents abuse in the Unemployment Insurance and Medicaid programs.

“This plan also increases the fees that some Americans must pay to utilize some government services – like air travel, customs fees pension insurance.  While I am not happy about the increase in fees that are part of this deal, the increase in fees will only cover the cost of providing the program.

"Work on a long-term deal that reins in our federal budget deficit and addresses entitlement spending should begin immediately.  While I am disappointed in parts of this deal, especially the increase in revenue, it is a moral imperative that the men and women in the military have the training and resources they need when we send them into harm’s way and we cannot do that under the across-the-board cuts demanded by the sequester.

"My support for this agreement in no way diminishes my commitment to addressing our nation’s long-term fiscal problems."