Press Releases

On Wednesday, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) voted with 265 other Democratic and Republican Members of Congress to pass H.R. 1314, a bipartisan budget agreement that creates jobs, protects seniors, affirms the full faith and credit of the United States and invests in our future. 

“Passing this bipartisan budget agreement is an important step to keep our economy growing and ensure all hardworking families in this country have the opportunity to succeed,” Congressman McGovern said. “When the American people elected us to serve in Congress, they expected us to do our job. For too long, House Republicans have allowed far-right members of their party to take our country to the brink, endangering our economy and putting our country’s most vulnerable families at risk.

“The next step is to complete the appropriations process to keep the government open before funding runs out on December 11^th. Americans simply can’t afford another Republican shutdown,” McGovern added. “Congress needs to ensure that every American family has the opportunity to succeed and I will be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure this budget puts our country on the strong footing we need to make that a reality.”

The bipartisan budget agreement enables crucial investments in America’s future after years of the damaging sequester – securing equal funding increases in defense and domestic initiatives over the next two years, and allowing for investments in such critical areas as education and R&D.  Further, the bill takes immediate action to prevent a major increase in Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles for millions of seniors in 2016.  The agreement also stops a drastic 20 percent cut in disability benefits in 2016, all while extending the solvency of Social Security Disability Insurance. 

Fending off the Republican threat of a first-ever U.S. default, this bill makes clear that the full faith and credit of the United States is non-negotiable and unbreakable with a clean debt limit suspension.  Put simply, this bipartisan budget agreement provides greater economic certainty to businesses and families, and it is estimated that it will create an additional 340,000 jobs in 2016 alone – along with increased economic growth.

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