WASHINGTON– Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) issued the following statement in support of the Budget Control Act of 2011:

"I intend to vote in favor of the bipartisan, bicameral compromise agreement that avoids default, adds certainty to our economy and puts our Nation on a sustainable path toward fiscal responsibility.  

“What we need in America is jobs, jobs, jobs, and this will help that effort forward. This support is consistent with my long-standing efforts to bring fiscal sanity to New Jersey and to be among those attempting to bring it here to Washington.

"The deal has three main features:  it cuts government spending more than it raises the debt cap, puts in place spending cuts that restrain future spending and advances the cause of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.  

"This is not a perfect plan.  It does not fix America’s long-term debt and deficit problems, nor reform the tax code, two things that this Congress still must do. It includes concessions by both sides of the aisle.  But the deal is just a first step in addressing the federal government's unsustainable fiscal plan.  It does provide a responsible framework for future steps to reduce the budget deficit.

"Following decade after decade of fiscal mismanagement under both major parties, the House Republican Majority of the 112th Congress has changed the debate in Washington on the issues of spending, debt and deficits.  The narrative on Capitol Hill is no longer how much can government spend but how we can best reduce spending.  This new awakening to fiscal prudence is in the best interest of the Nation and indeed I believe it is the critical issue of our generation.

"I urge all my colleagues in the House and members of the U.S. Senate to pass the Budget Control Act of 2011."