Congressman Charles Bass

August 1, 2011

WASHINGTON – Congressman Charles F. Bass (NH-02) issued the following statement this evening after the House of Representatives passed a plan to raise the debt ceiling. The measure now heads to the Senate.

Bass said:

"While not perfect, this plan accomplishes several goals that are vital to getting our economy back on track and preventing a default. It gives our nation an opportunity to have a real debate on enacting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. It cuts spending more than it raises the debt ceiling. It puts in place a framework for a joint, bipartisan committee to make recommendations on deficit reduction measures before the end of the year. And it does all of this without raising tax rates on hard-working American families.

"No one said this would be easy, and I didn't come back to Congress to avoid making tough decisions like this one. With this debate, we have taken the first steps to reforming the way Washington spends taxpayer money. It is only the beginning and there is still much work to be done. However, it's encouraging that finally there is bipartisan recognition that deficits and the debt really matter."

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