Press Releases

Kuster Delivers Bipartisan Budget Deal, Protects Vital Programs for New Hampshire

**As Chair of the influential New Democrat Coalition, Kuster worked closely with the White House to negotiate this package and ensure passage**

Washington, May 31, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), Chair of the nearly 100-Member New Democrat Coalition, voted to pass the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, and prevent an economic catastrophe by avoiding default. Kuster has been in constant communication with President Biden and the White House as this deal came together and played a critical role in ensuring its passage. 

“In a divided government, compromise is crucial. The agreement passed by the House today is not perfect, but it was necessary to prevent default and avoid an economic catastrophe,” said Kuster. “Thanks to President Biden, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 puts our country on a path forward, past this crisis, while protecting critical programs that Granite Staters count on, like Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans benefits. If you are not part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join New Dems in being part of the solution by quickly passing this package to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.”   

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 averts a catastrophic default that would have triggered a recession, cost millions of jobs, devastated retirement accounts, and undermined the economic progress Democrats and President Biden made over the last two years. 

Additionally, the deal:

  • Provides economic certainty by suspending the debt limit until January 2025;

  • Safeguards Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, protecting health insurance access and retirement savings for Granite Staters;

  • Fully funds veterans’ medical care, including mandatory funding for the PACT Act;

  • Protects key legislation passed over the previous two years, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the PACT Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s corporate minimum tax and prescription drug provisions; and

  • Protects clean energy and climate investments and maintains environmental protections for communities to keep their air and water clean.

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