Manchin Warns Sequestration Will Take an Ax to West Virginia
Reckless budget cuts in replace of responsible spending reductions will harm West Virginia safety programs, businesses, veterans, seniors, children and families
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released a report today that demonstrates how destructive the sequester’s across-the-board budget cuts will be to West Virginia safety programs, businesses, veterans, seniors, children and families. The cuts are set to go into effect on Friday.
“It is discouraging and shameful that Congress cannot work in a bipartisan manner to come together and reach a long-term compromise to get our fiscal house in order and stop these reckless spending cuts from going into effect,” Senator Manchin said. “The $85 billion in across-the-board cuts this year were intended to be so dangerous and flawed that it would force Congress to strike a grand bargain that applies fairness to our tax code and protect our vital safety net programs for generations to come and begins to pay down our debt.
“As a nation, we can’t spend our way to prosperity. We need to confront our fiscal situation and define our priorities based on our values. West Virginians and all Americans are demanding that we get our financial house in order, but we cannot continue to kick the can down the road with more empty promises of fiscal responsibility. We need a big fix, like the Bowles-Simpson plan that saves $4 trillion over ten years. We need to start responsibly managing our nation’s spending problems while reducing our debt, not simply taking an ax to essential programs.
“West Virginians live under a budget every day, and it is time that our government follows suit and starts doing the same. That is the only way we can get out of this fiscal mess once and for all.”
Please review Senator Manchin’s Report, which breaks down how essential services West Virginians rely on every day will be affected.
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