|
 |
 |
|
Colorado delegation members call on leaders to find bipartisan way around sequester
Seven members of Colorado's congressional delegation called on House and Senate leaders this week to find some bipartisan way around the across-the-board spending cuts that will take place in January, known as the sequester.
The letter warned that last year's debt-ceiling agreement that led to the sequester was meant to be a "painful last resort in order to spur a bipartisan congressional agreement on a balanced deficit-reduction plan." That bipartisan plan has yet to be found, forcing $109 billion in cuts to defense and social programs — something that members of both parties want to avoid for different reasons.
"There should be no higher priority for this Congress than crafting a bipartisan deficit-reduction plan so we can bring it to an up-or-down vote before the end of the year and avoid the blunt automatic spending cuts as part of the [Budget Control Act] sequester," they wrote. "We urge you to instruct the relevant congressional committees to begin working on such a comprehensive and bipartisan effort and allow time for the plan to be considered on the House and Senate floor."
Those who did sign it said their constituents are calling for Congress to solve the problem, and warned about the "congressional dysfunction" last year that threatened to block a debt ceiling agreement last year.
"Our Colorado constituents are demanding that their elected officials live up to the responsibilities of their office," the letter said. "If we join together across party lines and enact a comprehensive plan to put our nation back on sound fiscal footing, we can restore economic confidence and position the country for another generation of global economic leadership."
The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
