Democratic Proposal to Replace Sequester Refused a Vote on the House Floor

Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the refusal of House Republicans to allow a vote on the House floor on the Democratic alternative to the Republican one-year plan to replace the Budget Control Act sequester: 

“Tonight the House Rules Committee refused to give Members of Congress a choice on how to replace the across-the-board cuts in the Budget Control Act sequester and broke their commitment to an open process. After falsely claiming that Democrats didn’t have an alternative approach, they are hiding our fair and balanced plan from the American people. By blocking a vote on the Democratic alternative, Republicans showed total disdain for the American voter and the democratic process.

“The lopsided GOP plan protects tax breaks for the very wealthy by cutting Medicare for seniors, health care for almost 300,000 children, and food and nutrition assistance for 22 million kids.  By contrast, the Democratic alternative avoids the sequester by a balanced combination of cuts to agriculture subsidies and revenues raised by ending taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil and asking millionaires to share greater responsibility in reducing the deficit. 

“The Democratic alternative presented Republicans with a fundamental question – are they more interested in protecting tax breaks for millionaires than protecting spending for our national security?  In not allowing a vote on our plan, the answer is clear.  Republicans talk big about defense, but they just don’t want to pay for it.”