Chambliss, Isakson Back Bipartisan Budget Plan

Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Chambliss said the proposal, which sailed through the House last week by a wide margin, doesn’t go far enough to cut the nation’s debt and deficit. However, he said it’s a positive move forward.

“This bill represents a small step toward the type of cooperation that will be necessary to comprehensively address our debt and deficit,” Chambliss said.

If passed, the budget plan, which was crafted by Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, would cut the deficit by $85 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It would increase discretionary spending levels for defense and nondefense spending by $62 billion between 2014 and 2015 to minimize the impact of across-the-board spending cuts, known as sequestration, set to take effect at the beginning of next year.

To offset those expenses, the plan would extend some automatic cuts by two years (they’re set to expire in 2021) and hike certain fees.

Chambliss, who didn’t make his position on the budget plan clear until his speech on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, criticized one provision that would cut cost of living adjustments for military retirees under the age of 62 by 1 percent.  However, he said there’s “ample time” to negotiate that measure before it goes into effect.

“Many Georgians have served with honor in our military, and while the changes to their annual cost of living increase may appear insignificant on paper, this is real money promised to those who have put their lives in harm’s way in defense of this nation,” Chambliss said.

Isakson announced Monday he’d vote in favor of the plan. Speaking before Tuesday’s vote, he said he’s confident the Senate will ultimately approve the proposal.

Isakson echoed Chambliss, saying the plan wasn’t perfect, but said its overall a good, bipartisan compromise. He defended the measure despite complaints from Tea Party groups who say the bill doesn’t do enough to cut spending.  

“Any of us up here can take an individual item and say I’m not going to vote on this because it doesn’t deal with ‘X’ and vote ‘no’ all the time and never get anything done,” Isakson said. “Issues like extensions of unemployment compensation, increases in the minimum wage, things of that nature, those should be debated on their own merit. They should not be tucked into an omnibus budget bill. That’s the wrong way to govern. That’s the wrong way to spend the money of the government, and the right thing to do is not address those in the budget process, but to address those one-on-one outside the process.” 

He says the American public wants to see the budget passed and a second shutdown averted.

“The fact that we have predictability in our grasp is something the American people really like,  and when [congressional] popularity is at 11 percent, I think you ought to do what the American people like as much as you can,” Isakson said.

A final vote is expected Wednesday.