WASHINGON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following comments regarding the U.S. House of Representative’s passage of the Budget Control Act, a two-step plan House Republicans put forward to prevent a national default. The Budget Control Act focuses on cutting and capping spending, requires passage of a balanced budget amendment, contains no new taxes and prevents a national default that would hurt private-sector job growth. Miller said:

“Today, the House has put forward and passed yet another plan that would keep our nation out of default and guarantee that vital federal functions continue while also making substantial cuts to government spending. The Budget Control Act makes sound federal spending cuts now and puts in place a requirement that Congress must continue making the difficult choices and needed spending cuts to stop Washington from forcing more debt on our children and grandchildren which threatens their ability to achieve the American Dream.

“With our nation facing an immediate crisis that threatens to force the federal government to default on our obligations, it is time for all of the American people’s representatives from both parties to join together and solve this problem.”

Note - The Budget Control Act:
• Balanced Budget Amendment: The Budget Control Act requires the House and Senate to pass balanced budget amendment before the second debt limit increase occurs.
• Cut and Cap Spending: The Budget Control Act would cut and cap discretionary spending immediately, cutting $22 billion in spending next year, and saving $917 billion over ten years, and raise the debt ceiling by less – up to $900 billion – in order to avoid default. House Republicans have been clear that to pass the House, any debt limit increase must be accompanied by spending cuts that exceed the amount of the debt limit hike. No more blank checks for President Obama – any new debt increase will have to be met with even more cuts.
• No Tax Hikes: The Budget Control Act includes no tax hikes, and ensures that if tax hikes are a part of any negotiations for a future debt limit increase, the House can easily vote it down.
• Joint Committee To Further Cut Deficit: The Budget Control Act creates a Joint Committee of Congress that is required to report legislation that would produce a proposal to reduce the deficit by at least $1.8 trillion over 10 years, which will help protect programs like Medicare and Social Security from bankruptcy, in addition to a Balanced Budget Amendment being sent to the states. Each Chamber would consider the proposal of the Joint Committee on an up-or-down basis without any amendments. If the proposal is enacted and a Balanced Budget Amendment is sent to the states, then the President would be authorized to request a debt limit increase of $1.6 trillion.

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