Why I voted Yes on H.R. 5872
July 18, 2012
I voted Yes on H.R. 5872, the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012.
This legislation, which I co-sponsored, would bring clarity and focus to potential "sequestration" across-the-board spending cuts by requiring the President to provide Congress and the public with a report detailing the implementation of sequestration and the effects that it would have on our defense and social programs within 30 days.
Under last year's Budget Control Act and the subsequent failure of the "Super Committee" on debt reduction, we are now faced with across-the-board spending cuts that would result in a 10% cut to the Department of Defense and an 8% cut to non-defense domestic spending programs. Sequestration would severely impact our armed forces and national defense. The effects of sequestration would be felt in Upstate by potentially harming Rome Lab, DFAS, and EADS, and the businesses which work in the area. This could send a negative shock throughout the Upstate economy.
We need to be strengthening our markets and economy, not putting them in jeopardy. I fully understand the catastrophic effects that sequestration would have on our armed forces, veterans, and national defense. That is why I have been working to find a solution to stop the Department of Defense from bearing irrational cuts while still addressing our excessive debt and instituting smarter savings – including already voting for the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act which recently passed the House.
As a cosponsor of this legislation, I am hopeful that the Senate will follow the House's lead and pass this bill in order to allow the American people an opportunity to see the consequences that sequestration would bring about without corrective action.
The bill was approved by a vote of 414 – 2.
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