Rep. Yoder Votes Against White House Budget Deal

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Kevin Yoder (R-KS) voted against the two-year budget agreement negotiated by Congressional leadership and the White House, which passed 266-167. The agreement increases federal spending by $112 billion over the next two years and raises the debt limit through March of 2017. After voting against the deal, Representative Yoder issued the following statement:

“This deal is a nonstarter. I’ve consistently maintained that any proposal to raise the debt ceiling must be coupled with matching spending cuts or with critical reforms that put us on a path to pay down our debt. Instead, the agreement we considered today not only raises the debt limit to almost $20 trillion dollars, but it actually increases federal spending over the next two years.

“To pay for this increase in spending, the deal cuts $3 billion from the crop insurance program that provides a critical protection for Kansas farmers and ranchers already engaged in a high-risk industry. The crop insurance program as we know it will be significantly undermined, dealing another blow to the already struggling agriculture industry. As a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Committee, I will strongly oppose its implementation.

“This provision and the agreement as a whole perfectly illustrates why we have to stop governing based on backroom deals negotiated in the eleventh hour. This is not how Congress is supposed to operate. We must write these important bills in the light of day through the committee process, and I look forward to the House returning to a process where all voices can be heard.”

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