Congressmen Charles Boustany and Jeff Landry voted in favor of tonight's Budget Control Act of 2011.

Boustany says "This legislation conforms to the Cut, Cap and Balance principles and begins the process of putting our fiscal house in order,"

Boustany says, "Democrats have not put forth a plan and instead continue to play political games. This bill has significant and immediate cuts, creates a long-term plan to reduce the national debt and requires passage of the balanced budget amendment. This is a solid first step toward resolving the debt crisis threatening our national security and economic recovery."According to Boustany, the bill changes the trajectory of Washington spending and prevents the first government default in American history. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican plan will:

Cut and cap spending by $917 billion over 10 years, exceeding the $900 billion increase in the debt limit;

Cut $22 billion in spending for FY2012 and hold spending below FY2010 levels until FY2016;

Require Congress to propose additional reductions of at least $1.8 trillion while protecting programs including Medicare and Social Security from bankruptcy;

Guarantee passage of the balanced budget amendment for additional debt limit increases.

 Watch Boustany's Floor Speech:

Jeff Landry issued the following statement after voting for tonight's Budget Control Act of 2011:

"Through countless phone calls, emails, and letters - my constituents told me to stand strong and fight for real solutions not mere deals. That is why I worked hard with leadership and my freshmen colleagues to get a bill that cuts spending now, caps future spending, and ensures a Balanced Budget Amendment passes Congress before another increase is enacted. When I ran for office, I pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare; and unless Washington reforms the budget and eliminates the IOU's to the trust fund, the government will not preserve the promises made to our seniors. In order to pave a way for prosperity, Washington must end the spending madness and not allow the children of tomorrow to pay for the mistakes of yesterday. Tonight's bill is not a Washington deal; rather, it is a solution prevents the United States from losing its sterling AAA credit rating. I sure hope the 22 Senate Democrats who have previously expressed support for a Balanced Budget Amendment match their actions with their rhetoric. 49 of 50 states in this nation operate under a Balanced Budget requirement, and there is no reason the federal government should not do so as well. Only with a Balanced Budget Amendment can we stop these problems from happening again in the future."

 

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