DeLauro Statement on Budget Bill

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement on the budget bill voted on tonight by the House of Representatives:

“This was an incredibly difficult decision. I cast a vote against the budget bill before the House of Representatives tonight. The New York Times described it as ‘The Minimalist Budget Deal.’ It eases the indiscriminate, deeply harmful budget cuts, but only for two years. They should be gone permanently. Funding for what should be our top priorities—education, health, child care, job training and infrastructure—has steadily eroded. This locks in our lack of commitment to growing our economy, creating jobs, restoring social mobility, and closing tax loopholes on wealthy corporations and individuals.

“Most troubling is this bill’s failure to extend unemployment insurance for the millions of long-term unemployed, during the Christmas season. Federal unemployment insurance will expire on December 28, throwing 26,000 in Connecticut into a desperate state. It is unconscionable for Congress to go home after leaving such critical work undone.”