MT DC lawmakers split on budget

Montana’s three-member congressional delegation split along party lines on a two-year budget accord that raises the nation’s debt ceiling, eases limits on domestic and defense spending and maintains the solvency of the Social Security trust fund.

The agreement, forged by congressional leaders from both parties and the White House, staves off a potential debt default when the nation reaches its borrowing limit Nov. 3 and averts a possible government shutdown in December.

Senators took to the floor to debate the deal before ultimately voting 64-35 to pass the legislation, which will be sent to the president for his signature.

Among those opposing the deal, was Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who blasted the deal as “irresponsible,” saying it increased spending, and failed to provide a plan for fiscal stability.

“The people of Montana deserve real solutions to address Washington’s failures, not more budget gimmicks and backroom deals,” said Daines in remarks delivered on the Senate floor. “The debt limit deal takes our nation in the wrong direction.”

Though he lauded the deal for reforms that shore up the Social Security trust fund, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont, ultimately was among the 167 Republicans to vote against the legislation when it came to the House Floor Wednesday.

In remarks released around the time of the vote, he bemoaned the fact that the budget did not balance and that it would raise the nation’s debt ceiling without offering a long-term plan to curtail spending and tackle the budget deficit.

“In Montana, if your basement fills with water, you don’t raise the ceiling to let more water in; you pump it out,” said Zinke.

Zinke also criticized the deal for a $3 billion dollar cut to federal crop insurance and provisions that he said would hit rural hospitals. A Zinke spokesperson claimed that changes to Medicare in the legislation would cost the Billings Clinic $6 to $9 million dollars to implement.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., while throwing his support behind the deal, decried Washington’s culture of ideological entrenchments and manufactured crises for preventing a better agreement from being reached.

“I know this budget deal isn’t perfect,” said Tester in a speech on the Senate floor. “But it’s the product of compromise, however last minute it may be, and however limited the ability of Senators to weigh-in on it is.”

He lauded the legislation for protecting 46,000 Montanans from spikes in premiums and kept scheduled budget cuts that he said would hurt the economy.

Tester however, criticized parts of the agreement, such as those that he said would limit access to rural health care. He did pledge to work to address those concerns later.

“Like I said, this budget isn't perfect, said Tester. “The disappointing thing is that it could have been so much better.”