02.09.18

Cantwell Statement on Budget Deal

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement after the Senate-passed budget deal failed to address key Washington state priorities:

“This massive legislation, which failed to go through hearings or an amendment process, falls short on some of the most urgent investments needed to address Washington state challenges. My vote for this package was contingent on addressing critical issues like affordable housing, wildland firefighting, and clean energy investments, and making those programs smarter and more efficient.

“While I support a number of the provisions in this bill, it is wrong that President Trump and Senator McConnell are once again forcing Americans to choose between financial security for community health centers and addressing the affordable housing crisis; between funding our military and solving our wildfire challenges; and between addressing the opioid crisis and Dreamers looking to secure their bright future. It is wrong to ignore the burden this deficit funded spending places on future generations, particularly after the trillion and half dollar giveaway to corporations and the wealthiest Americans that Republicans engineered just a few weeks ago.

“Expansion of the Cantwell-Hatch low-income housing tax credit has wide support on both sides of the aisle. My Western colleagues and I worked hard to develop a bipartisan, consensus solution that protects our rural and timber communities from the growing risk of wildfire. And the vast majority of the American public believe Congress needs to find a solution that puts Dreamers on a pathway to citizenship. Yet, Republican leadership in the House stood in the way of sensible bipartisan solutions that Senators had found compromise on, instead siding with a few ultra-conservative members of their party.

“We can’t stop short of addressing the myriad of challenges facing this country – especially when so many have painstakingly worked to find common sense solutions. I will continue fighting for our state’s interests to ensure key priorities are included in the final omnibus that will be voted on at the end of March.”

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