August 01, 2011

Manchin Statement on Debt Ceiling Deal

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released the following statement about the bipartisan compromise deal to cut spending and reduce the deficit. 

“While the American people had to witness a needlessly dysfunctional partisan political process, they have a reason to be optimistic. I will support this bipartisan compromise because it opens a commonsense pathway to work toward fixing our long-term spending and debt problems, while protecting vital programs like Social Security and Medicare. The deal responsibly cuts trillions in spending and provides a guaranteed vote in just a few months on what I hope will be a balanced long-term deficit reduction plan. 

“In fact, as I urged last week, significant changes were made to this proposal, especially when compared to the Reid and Boehner bills that I voted against. By increasing responsible spending cuts, imposing caps on discretionary spending, eliminating so-called war savings gimmicks, protecting Social Security and Medicare and including a guaranteed vote on what I hope will be a responsible Balanced Budget Amendment, I hope that this legislation will chart a new fiscal course for this country – one in which our federal spending is based on our values and our priorities. 

“That said, this deal is far from perfect; it is a compromise that does not have everything we would wish for in a perfect world. I still remain very concerned about a downgrade, and clearly, much work remains to be done to get our nation’s fiscal house in order. I am committed to doing everything in my power to bring fiscal discipline back to Washington in a responsible way that keeps our promises to our seniors and veterans.

“Looking ahead to this fall, I will work with my colleagues – both Democrats and Republicans – to develop a long-term deficit fix based on a balanced approach that includes responsible cuts, tax reform and the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse. I will strive for an approach that I hope will not only help prevent a credit rating downgrade, but will also help create a brighter future for the children of West Virginia and our nation.”