Congresswoman Terri Sewell issued the following statement after voting in support of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015:

“Congress cannot continue to govern crisis-by-crisis. Few in Congress want to repeat the costly 2013 government shutdown, and thankfully today’s vote reflected that.

“I still have strong concerns about the proposed changes to the critically important crop insurance program that helps support farmers and ranchers in the 7^th Congressional District, and across the country. However, I will take House leadership at their word as they have assured me that we will continue to work together to resolve this issue for our farming community.

“While this bill is not a perfect one, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 breaks the sequester stronghold that has stifled our domestic and defense spending priorities. Alabama was hit hard when the sequester was implemented, and this bill loosens the arbitrary spending caps that hampered critical investments in domestic programs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the direct effect of the budget agreement will create 340,000 additional new jobs in 2016, and a total of 500,000 jobs by 2017. These jobs are critically important to hardworking Americans who continue to struggle to make ends meet and provide for their families.  The Bipartisan Budget Act ultimately creates economic certainty, affirms the full faith and credit of the United States, and ensures that our brave men and women in uniform have the resources they need to meet ongoing and emerging threats around the world.

“I am also proud that this bill will block a 20 percent cut in Social Security disability benefits, and prevent a 52 percent spike in Medicare Part B premiums. If Congress refused to act, premiums for Alabama’s Medicare population would have jumped 52 percent on January 1, 2016. Our nation made a promise to seniors that we would assist them with medical costs as they aged. We cannot take back that promise.

 “Both sides of the aisle have made compromises in order to reach this point. I called on Congress earlier this month to enact a comprehensive, long-term budget bill that appropriately funds all necessary government services and obligations. I am pleased that Congress met this challenge.”

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