A Small but Meaningful Step
After much consideration, I reluctantly voted for a six-week stopgap spending bill carrying a bipartisan budget deal, ending a less-than-six-hour government shutdown on February 9. The $400 billion budget deal was based upon practical political considerations, and my belief that a bipartisan Congress that gets things done is in the best long-term interests of the American people.
The budget deal did not contain everything that I had wished, but it does support programs that are vitally important to those who elected me to wisely represent their concerns in Washington. For example, the budget agreement includes $89 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to the devastation in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey, as well as other states impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the wildfires in California. It took more than five months for the Texas delegation to secure this funding for our state, which necessitated the cooperation of Republicans and Democrats alike to bring this desperately needed support to assist communities all throughout Texas during the recovery.
The legislation also achieves a number of items that are important to residents of the district that I represent, and to those who are concerned about the well-being of children and senior citizens in our country. The bill closes the Medicare Part D “donut hole” a year earlier than the Affordable Care Act, meaning seniors can expect to save thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. It allocates $6 billion to support various healthcare initiatives and battle the opioid crisis that is gripping the lives of many of our citizens. Additionally, the legislation contains funds for the expansion of community healthcare centers. These facilities are crucial to many people in North Texas. The legislation extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by an additional four years. Community health centers are funded in the bill, and funding was approved to make the necessary repairs for clinics that service our veterans. Eligible seniors will see a reduction in their share of drug costs under the legislation.
Significant funding for medical research is included in the legislation. Medical research and development is crucial to finding cures for disease and to scientific advancement in our society. The measure even addresses climate change by expanding a tax credit for companies that engage in processes that capture and store pollutants that result from fossil fuels. It is generally believed that a reduction in carbon emissions will led to few drastic changes in the global climate. It also allocates money for our nation’s infrastructure needs for the repair and construction of highways, bridges, railroad lines and airports.
While the budget did not contain everything of importance to me, I believe that it was a step in the right direction, particularly in the life of the Congress, which has been paralyzed by inaction. Nobody benefits from a government shutdown. In fact, often times the ones who suffer the most are the seniors and other underserved segments of our population who depend heavily on the federal government to provide healthcare, housing, and support. I voted for the bipartisan budget agreement so that those who need us the most are not left carrying the burden of Congressional inaction.
