Congressman Smith Statement on President’s Budget Request
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement after President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2017 budget request:
February 9, 2016
“The President’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017 sets up an important debate about how our nation can continue to build an economy that allows for every American to attain economic prosperity. President Obama’s budget proposal funds critical investments to expand access to education, focuses on improving Information Technology to best deliver Federal services, and prioritizes sustainable research and development programs to help combat climate change. The President’s budget outlines his vision for a strong and secure future that allows hard-working Americans to achieve economic prosperity while keeping our nation safe.
“The Administration’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget also includes elimination of the sequester after 2018. Sequestration was never intended to be implemented, but instead was meant to force Congress to have an honest conversation about the budget. Over the past three years, sequestration and its drastic and across-the-board cuts has stood in the way of Congress enacting a stable budget that reflects our country’s priorities. I continue to call for an end to the sequester and have introduced the Relief from Sequestration Act. Eliminating sequestration now is a necessary first step in Republicans and Democrats coming together to implement a long-term spending plan that continues the progress we have made.
“I am encouraged by the recent willingness in Congress to come together and focus on crafting a more bipartisan path forward on the budget. The Bipartisan Budget Agreement signed into law last October began to address our budget challenges in a more balanced way. A responsible budget must prioritize education and encourage innovative growth that will stimulate economic mobility. Meeting the challenges we face as a country must also include comprehensive immigration reform and build upon the President’s recent actions to both reform our nation’s criminal justice system and address the growing epidemic of gun violence. I support the President’s roadmap for a fiscal path that will both provide for our national security and reinforce the building blocks necessary to continue to grow our economy for all Americans.”