Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D-New Orleans) voted For
the budget while Senator David Vitter (R-Metairie) voted No.
Unlike the Republican House Bill passed on Thursday, the
Senate plan calls for tax increases and some minor spending cuts but won’t
balance the Federal Budget.
In a statement, Landrieu applauded the Senate plan and
criticized the Republican House plan proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan
(R-Wisconsin).
"I voted for the Senate budget because it takes a
balanced approach to reduce our deficit by targeting smart spending cuts and
finding additional revenues from closing loopholes in our tax code. Respected
economists, including the leaders of the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission
and Doug Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office,
say that while reducing our annual deficit to a much lower percentage of GDP is
a very important target, they caution against drastic reductions that would
throw ice water on this growing recovery."
"The Senate Budget hits those targets while keeping
economic growth and the security of the middle class at the forefront. The Ryan
(House Republican) Budget, in contrast, shifts the entire burden of deficit
reduction on the backs of the middle class and working poor. It pulls the rug
out from this promising recovery while lavishing tax cuts to the top 1 percent.
Yes, it purports to 'balance' the budget in 10 years, but at what cost to the
middle class? It is an unconscionable and shameful reflection of the values
America stands for."
The Senate plan also includes an amendment from Senator
Landrieu that calls for the Federal government to speed up the increase of
Louisiana’s share of off-shore oil and gas royalty payments. Louisiana is set
to receive an increase to 37.5% in 2017. Landrieu wants that to begin
immediately. It would also eliminate the
current $500 Million annual cap on royalties.
Senator Vitter offered two amendments to the budget
requiring a valid photo id to vote in Federal elections and ending the
government’s practice of giving away free cell phones. Both were rejected.
Congressman Steve Scalise (R-Metairie) was critical of the
Senate budget plan and President Obama's continued failure to submit a budget of his own.
In a statement, Scalise claimed that the House Republican budget “is a responsible
budget that balances in 10 years, saves Medicare from bankruptcy, repeals ObamaCare,
and gets our economy moving again so we can create jobs through pro-growth
reforms that establish a fairer and simpler tax code. Our growth-oriented budget contrasts dramatically with the liberal Senate
budget that raises more than $1 trillion in new taxes and never achieves
balance, as well as President Obama's failure to even meet the legal deadline
to present a budget."
