Press Releases

8/1/2011

Contact: Mahen Gunaratna, (202) 225-4506

Congresswoman Wilson Supports Historic Bipartisan Compromise to Raise Debt Ceiling

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) today voted in support of the Budget Control Act of 2011, a historic bipartisan compromise to raise the debt ceiling.

“My decision today is ultimately a decision to support President Obama in forging a historic bipartisan compromise to raise the debt ceiling. I want to see the President continue to lead our nation forward for the next five years. President Obama did his best in the face of extreme and selfish opposition from the Tea Party, which has been singularly focused on making him a one-term president.

“Although the deal is tough medicine to swallow, I believe it’s necessary. This bipartisan deal will remove the cloud of uncertainty hanging over our economy, reduce the deficit with significant savings from the defense budget, and set the stage for a more balanced plan. I remain committed to protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”

Throughout the debt ceiling debate, Democrats stayed committed to responsibly paying our bills and meeting our obligations, whereas many Tea Party Republicans never hesitated to throw our economy into default. Following are highlights from the deal:

· Includes Savings of $350 Billion from the Base Defense Budget – the First Defense Cut Since the 1990s:The deal puts us on track to cut $350 billion from the defense budget over 10 years. These reductions will be implemented based on the outcome of a review of our missions, roles, and capabilities that will reflect the President’s commitment to protecting our national security.

· Includes Funding to Protect the President’s Historic Investment in Pell Grants:Since taking office, the President has increased the maximum Pell award by $819 to a maximum award $5,550, helping over 9 million students pay for college tuition bills. The deal provides specific protection in the discretionary budget to ensure that the there will be sufficient funding for the President’s historic investment in Pell Grants without undermining other critical investments.

· Consistent With Past Practice, Sequester Would Be Divided Equally Between Defense and Non-Defense Programs and Exempt Social Security, Medicaid, and Low-Income Programs:Consistent with the bipartisan precedents established in the 1980s and 1990s, the sequester would be divided equally between defense and non-defense program, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.

Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term congresswoman representing the 17^th District of Florida, including Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward Counties. She is a former state legislator and school principal and the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.