CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN BUDGET AGREEMENT

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1314, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015: 
 
“The budget agreement passed in the House today reaffirms the United States’ trustworthiness and positions the nation for advancement both domestically and overseas. By raising the nation’s debt limit, the House of Representatives ensured the U.S. government pays its bills. The agreement also marks the end of harmful, indiscriminate sequestration budget cuts for two years. These across-the-board spending cuts cost our economy jobs, slashed funding for our children’s schools, and made long-term government planning extremely difficult. Raising certain sequester spending caps allows us to allocate funds more strategically, provide some certainty to the U.S. economy, and better address the needs of hardworking Americans. Today’s agreement also helps protect seniors’ healthcare and financial security. The measure prevents a sharp, 52 percent increase in Medicare Part B premiums for certain beneficiaries and keeps the Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund solvent until 2022.

“All in all, this deal demonstrates that when Republicans and Democrats come together, do their jobs, and put the priorities of the American people ahead of partisan politics, progress is possible. Congress should build off this momentum to pass other critical legislation in the coming months, including long-term transportation infrastructure funding.” 
 
H.R. 1314 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 266 to 167.

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