Gingrey: To safeguard military funding, Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act "critical"

 

Media release: Rep. Phil Gingrey voted today in support of H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act. This critical legislation, led by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, prevents devastating across-the-board cuts to the Department of Defense by identifying and implementing measures to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in existing government programs. If left in place, sequestration would deal a massive blow to our military, shrinking it to its smallest size since before World War II, and would hamper our ability to respond to national security threats.

 

"Preserving funding for our servicemen and women is of paramount importance," said Rep. Gingrey. This legislation achieves that goal while simultaneously enacting necessary and strategic reforms to a number of mandatory programs. These measures will better ensure those most in need of government assistance receive it, instead of individuals who game the system."

 

Two provisions authored by Rep. Gingrey are included in H.R. 5652. The first, H.R. 5 the HEALTH Act, seeks to address the rising cost of health care through meaningful medical liability reform. The other provision, H.R. 1683, the State Flexibility Act, aims to correct a problem created by Obamacare and the failed stimulus by giving states the flexibility they need to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program.

 

The Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act provides $328 billion in savings over ten years. It will also offset the first year of indiscriminate sequestration cuts—$78 billion—to the Department of Defense.