releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140301100957/http://orourke.house.gov/media-center/vote-explanations/voted-yes-on-ryanmurray-budget-plan-hjres-59
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20140301100957/http://orourke.house.gov/media-center/vote-explanations/voted-yes-on-ryanmurray-budget-plan-hjres-59 | Voted "Yes" on Ryan/Murray budget plan (H.J.Res. 59) | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Democrat | House | TX | Beto O'Rourke | O000170 | web.archive.org | legacy | I just cast a very difficult vote in favor of the bipartisan Ryan/Murray budget plan (H.J.Res. 59), which passed the House tonight. It will now head to the Senate where I expect it to pass in the coming days and be signed by the President. You sent me to Washington to do what is best for El Paso and the nation. Although this budget is an imperfect compromise containing many difficult choices, passing it was the right thing to do and it is a modest step toward a government that functions and serves the American people. This budget agreement will cover the next two years, ensuring that the government will not shut down and providing the stability and certainty our economy needs to continue recovering. The best part of this budget is that it will curb the mandatory and irrational cuts known as the sequester, which have directly harmed El Paso. Cuts at Fort Bliss caused civilian employees to be furloughed and continue to impact training and readiness. Cuts to education mean fewer funds for our schools and fewer Head Start slots for our children. Drastic reductions at NIH mean less doctors and scientists conducting life-saving research. The budget agreement provides much needed relief from the sequester and allow us to prioritize spending instead of blindly cutting. The agreement also provides $22 billion toward deficit reduction, putting us on a more stable fiscal track. It also ensures that Medicare doctors will not face a 24% cut next year, which would put the care of seniors at risk. Despite the positive parts of this deal, I am troubled by several provisions. Chief among my concerns is a 1% reduction in pension benefits for military retirees under age 62 and increased pension contributions for new federal employees. Federal employees, including about 20,000 in El Paso, have already contributed $122 billion in deficit reduction over the past several years. There is other waste we could cut in the budget, including weapons systems we do not need or outdated payments to agribusinesses, before asking public servants and military retirees to forgo earned benefits. I am also disappointed that the final deal fails to include an extension of unemployment insurance for the thousands of El Pasoans still struggling to find work. In Texas, the failure to extend jobless benefits means 70,000 people will lose benefits on December 28th. I have cosponsored legislation to protect these individuals and Congress should have taken this bill up before adjourning. Despite these shortcomings, our nation needed a budget and an end to constant crises. I could have voted no because the budget was not perfect, but the alternative to this budget would be a continuation of the failed status quo and political bickering. We have not had a budget in over three years. It is time to move forward. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |