WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement on his vote in support of the Budget Control Act, which failed when considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon. This legislation mirrors the proposal Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has proposed in the Senate.

“While today’s compromise bill is far from the balanced ‘grand bargain’ we need to improve our nation’s fiscal situation and end the dangerous debt ceiling stand offs once and for all, it will end the current crisis and make a significant down payment on fiscal sustainability without putting at risk Social Security and Medicare, as Speaker Boehner's plan would. This is by far the best proposal we have seen in the House. It cuts discretionary spending by more than the Speaker’s proposal, reduces defense spending, preserves investment in education, and provides certainty for the businesses and families of Southwestern Connecticut.”