Lowey Statement on 2014 Continuing Resolution

September 20, 2013
Press Release
Lowey Statement on 2014 Continuing Resolution

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today delivered the following statement regarding H.J.Res.59, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014:

"I will oppose this continuing resolution. On September 10th, Chairman Rogers introduced the CR and his statement noted, "This bill is free of controversial riders...and does not seek to change existing federal policies." How things have changed!

"Unfortunately, this new package will attach not one but two politically-motivated, ill-conceived, and doomed provisions: one directs the President to pay certain debts but not others in case House Republicans are determined to default on America's obligations. The other would defund the Affordable Care Act.

"Defunding the ACA has far-reaching consequences for all Americans. If the House CR is enacted, no funds could be used to administer payments calculated on the basis of ACA provisions. Patients, doctors, hospitals, medical suppliers and other health providers would all experience significant disruptions. Many of the improvements to Medicare made by the ACA would also have to be suspended, such as better coverage for preventive services, lower costs for drug benefits, and stronger tools to combat health care fraud.

"Most importantly, undermining the implementation of the ACA only gives our medical choices back to the insurance companies and keeps health insurance costs too high for too many families.

"The House Republican default plan is flawed as well. The majority proposes that, if they force default on federal debt, the U.S. should prioritize payments to Treasury bondholders, of which 47 percent are foreign-owned. So while we pay back China, the following Americans would be pushed to the back of the line:

• 1.4 million active duty troops and 780,000 troops in reserves

• 3.4 million disabled veterans who served their country with honor

• 1.1 million doctors and others who provided health care to seniors with Medicare

• 32 million children in schools that need payments to continue serving nutritious lunches

• 44,000 National Institutes of Health grantees conducting life-saving medical research and providing an estimated 500,000 jobs

"We should be focused on jobs. Instead, Republicans want to play games of brinksmanship on the budget and the debt limit even though the foreseeable consequence will be plummeting stock markets and businesses freezing their hiring. The Republican budget plan itself shortchanges American jobs in infrastructure, results in education and defense layoffs, closes Head Start and afterschool programs, and divests in health research. And the sequester, CBO tells us, will cost the U.S. economy up to 1.6 million jobs over the next year.

"I hope at some point we are able to agree on a bipartisan CR that can be enacted. The one before us is not it. Unfortunately, we'll be back here again next week facing the same crisis."

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113th Congress