Congressman Rouda Votes to Pass Bipartisan Budget Caps & Debt Limit Deal

Washington, D.C. –  This afternoon, Rep. Harley Rouda (CA-48) voted yes on HR 3877, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. He issued the following statement:

Today I voted yes on the bipartisan budget deal negotiated by President Trump and Congressional Leadership. I was glad to see bipartisan agreement on areas of common sense –increasing support for infrastructure, environmental protection, our veterans and national security, and offsetting much of the cost with spending cuts. 

But I am disappointed that Washington missed an opportunity to engage in a serious, bipartisan effort to balance the budget and instead chose to kick the can down the road. The Medicare trust fund runs out of money in seven years. Our debt is on track to be twice the size of our economy in just a few decades. And yet, the President's irresponsible tax giveaway and spending mean that we're not only going the wrong direction, but the annual deficit will soon be higher than it's ever been. 

Like climate change, we are set to deliver our kids yet another crisis, when we have the tools and knowledge to confront the problem today. This deal represents a compromise we can afford less and less by the day, and I am determined to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send a message to the President and Congressional leadership that it’s time for both parties to get serious about stabilizing the budget and protecting our economy from this predictable disaster.

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