Hensarling Statement on Senate Passage of the Sequestration Transparency Act
WASHINGTON- House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) released the following statement regarding H.R. 5872, the Sequestration Transparency Act, which was passed by the Senate tonight by unanimous consent. H.R. 5872, introduced by Chairman Hensarling and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), passed the House last week by a vote of 414-2.
"Congress has a duty to provide for our national defense, and the defense sequester that President Obama and Senate Democrats seem intent on imposing upon our military threatens both our security and our freedom.
"House Republicans remain committed to the full spending reduction required by the Budget Control Act, but we have a plan to replace the arbitrary cuts to our defenses with responsible spending cuts and reforms. The president and Senate Democrats do not.
"The American people deserve to know what the true impact of the president's plan for sequestration will be on our national defense. Tonight’s passage of the Sequestration Transparency Act by the Senate highlights the serious need for these details to be shared with the public. As Secretary Panetta has said, the sequester, if implemented, ‘would do real damage to our security, our troops and their families, and our military’s ability to protect the nation.’
“I thank Senate Republican Conference Chairman Thune and Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Sessions for their leadership in introducing companion legislation in the Senate. I also thank House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan for his leadership in guiding this legislation through the committee process and co-sponsoring this important bill.
“It is past time for the president and his administration to outline in detail how these cuts will be implemented. For the sake of our nation's security and transparency in our government, I urge President Obama to sign this bill into law immediately."
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For additional information, contact:
House Republican Conference Press Office (conferencepress@mail.house.gov)
