– This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement on her vote to reject Chairman Paul Ryan’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 budget, and calls on Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass a common sense budget that protects the interests of New Hampshire’s middle class:

“Since taking office, I have called on both Democrats and Republicans to work together to pass a common sense budget plan that will cut wasteful spending while also protecting our seniors and middle class families. We must work together to create a smart budget proposal that will help grow our economy and support job creation throughout the nation. This is in the best interest of all our constituents, regardless of their party or where they’re from.

“That’s why I was extremely disappointed by Chairman Paul Ryan’s unflinchingly extreme budget, which would only protect the interests of millionaires and special interests. Among other things, his irresponsible proposal would slash funding for Pell grants, forcing our children to go deeper into debt just to attend college; it proposes recklessly turning Medicare into a voucher program, which would prove devastating for our nation’s seniors; and it would cut nutrition assistance for low-income families by an astounding $125 billion dollars. This budget proposal lets down the hardworking American families who rely on us to develop a responsible plan for Congressional spending, and I was proud to vote against it this afternoon.

“Moving forward, I call on Democrats and Republicans to come together to develop a  budget proposal that makes sense for our constituents, so we can move our nation forward, protect our middle class, and support the job creation our country needs to revitalize the economy. I look forward to working with members of both parties to realize that goal.”  

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