Vote To Cut Spending

Under President Obama, the national debt has increased 50% to $6 trillion. We simply cannot sustain that kind of excessive spending. Yesterday’s vote alters the culture of spending in Washington. For the first time in over six decades, spending has now been cut four years in a row and takes spending down to a level below FY09. Congress is finally taking some necessary steps towards deficit reduction.

I supported the Omnibus spending bill for a number of reasons. The bill is $21.4 billion below last year’s spending level. There is no additional funding for Obamacare.

The bill also protects the Department of Defense from $22B in mandatory cuts. These cuts would have endangered our military readiness and national security. San Antonio is home to thousands of brave men and women who serve our country and also to several military installations. The bill fully funds a 1 percent pay raise for our troops and includes a fix to the military retiree pension. The provision ensures that approximately 63,000 medically retired personnel and survivors receive their full annual cost-of-living increase in their pensions.