On Tuesday, Congress was able to come to a bipartisan agreement on the budget plan, which will prevent another government shutdown as long as the Senate and House approve the measure. Friday was the deadline for the deal, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray expressed relief that “the partisanship and the gridlock” was put aside.
Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman, commented: “This agreement makes sure that we don’t have a government shutdown scenario in January. It makes sure we don’t have another government shutdown scenario in October. It makes sure that we don’t lurch from crisis to crisis.”
President Obama also weighed in, and acknowledged that although the deal is not a perfect solution, it signals a step in the right direction. “This agreement doesn’t include everything I’d like — and I know many Republicans feel the same way. That’s the nature of compromise. But it’s a good sign that Democrats and Republicans in Congress were able to come together and break the cycle of short-sighted, crisis-driven decision-making to get this done,” Obama said.
The agreement involves setting spending levels, reducing the deficit, and reducing the amount of spending cuts that have created the sequestration.
