Two Michigan Congressmen Weigh in on Agreement to Reopen Federal Government

A deal was reached Wednesday night to reopen the federal government and raise the debt ceiling. Two Michigan Congressmen - Dan Kildee (D-Flint) and Dave Camp (R-Midland) - issued statements on the deal:

Congressman Dan Kildee, who represents Michigan's Fifth Congressional District (which includes Flint), had this to say:

“Tonight I voted in favor of a bipartisan compromise to immediately reopen the government and ensure that our country meets its financial obligations. This man-made crisis has gone on for far too long, considering it didn’t have to happen in the first place, and I am glad to see it end.

“It’s time we return to dealing with the critical issues facing our country. Congress – and our country – cannot afford to continue lurching crisis-to-crisis, where ultimately, and unfortunately, my constituents and the American people lose.

“I’m happy to see that budget conferees have finally been appointed to work on a budget, something that has been objected to by Republicans over twenty times since March. A budget is a statement of our country’s values and priorities. As we now begin negotiations, we must ensure that any budget grows our economy, creates jobs, supports manufacturing and invests in education. The House and Senate budgets differ greatly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t sit at the same table to talk and settle our differences.”

Congressman Dave Camp, who represents Michigan's Fourth Congressional District, had this to say:

“I voted for the bill because it will reopen the government and prevent the country from defaulting on its debt, but this is a missed opportunity to address the underlying problems – a weak economy and a staggering amount of debt being run-up in Washington.  Too many families are still struggling in this economy, and they deserve a government that can work together to tackle the tough issues.  One of the most important things Congress can do to strengthen the economy, encourage job creation, increase wages and reduce spending is to fix our broken tax code.  As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I will continue to pursue commonsense, bipartisan reforms to simplify the tax code and improve our entitlement programs – both of which will help pay down the debt.”