WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI)
issued the following statement today in response to House passage of H.J.Res.
59, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013:
“This budget compromise represents a small, but important,
step towards returning to a regular budget process. Our nation has
suffered for far too long as the Republican leadership governs by crisis. I’m
pleased we were able to roll back some of the most harmful cuts imposed by
sequestration and temporarily avert a scheduled cut in Medicare physician reimbursements.“
“However, I am deeply disturbed that House Republican
Leaders refused to allow a vote to extend unemployment insurance for 1.3
million Americans, including 4,900 Rhode Islanders, who will be cut off from
federal emergency unemployment compensation in the middle of the
holidays.
"Unemployment insurance provides vital assistance to those
struggling to find jobs during a difficult economic recovery. That is why
I joined 173 of my colleagues in calling on Speaker Boehner to prevent Congress
from leaving for the year without addressing this critical issue.
"Democrats put forward a three-month, fully paid-for, extension of unemployment
insurance, and it is unconscionable that Republicans did not allow a simple
vote to include it in the budget with so many families facing financial
uncertainty.”
