Gluesenkamp Perez Statement on Budget Reconciliation Vote

Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement regarding her vote against a partisan budget reconciliation bill:

“Early this morning, I stood with my community and cast my vote against a costly and irresponsible budget reconciliation bill.

Washington, D.C. is way out of balance right now, with one party controlling all the levers of government. This massive bill reveals the consequences of single-party control: the bill doesn’t balance the federal budget, it doesn’t balance the competing priorities I hear from my community, and it avoids making tough decisions in favor of making reckless ones. It’s a package of party favors for special interests and extremists calling the shots in the majority party right now.

Politicians love to champion fiscal responsibility and use our national debt as a talking point, but at the end of the day, this wasteful legislation will explode our deficit by $3.8 trillion to advance profound tax cuts for the top 0.1% of earners. 

It drives up costs for everyday Americans on energy, healthcare premiums, and out-of-pocket costs – all while gutting the consumer finance watchdog that helps them fight back when they’re ripped off.

It breaks the President’s promise not to touch Medicaid – imposing new, difficult-to-navigate red tape and threatening the healthcare of roughly 21,000 people across Southwest Washington.

It raids food programs that advance our national health, keep food on families’ tables, and support our farmers.

That’s the real cost of handing out tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.

As some of my House Republican colleagues sounded the alarms about how this bill will balloon our deficit, I stood ready to work with the Majority on a fiscally responsible bill that would level the playing field and make government deliver more effectively. Instead, they moved forward on an expensive, partisan plan that failed to include provisions like my bill to close the carried interest loophole – a fiscally smart policy advocated for by President Trump.

Working families understand the bitter consequences of carrying debt, and our federal government needs to meet them in that reality. This bill doesn’t align with the values held by my neighbors and constituents – and it disrespects their hard work to make ends meet. I’ll keep seeking out bipartisan solutions, fighting to advance opportunity in the middle class, and taking an independent stand for what truly matters to my community.”