House Passes Paul Ryan's Budget, David Jolly Votes Against It

On Thursday, the U.S. House passed the budget proposal from U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on a near party-line vote. The measure passed 219-205 with newly elected U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., joining 11 other Republicans to break with the GOP and voting against it.

Floridas congressmen weighed in afterward with Republicans praising the proposal and Democrats continuing to oppose it.

Americans know best how to spend their own money, not Washington, said U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. When they can keep more in their own wallets and bank accounts, they can make the decisions that best suit their needs. Thats why I pushed Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan to include a recommendation in the budget bill for Congress to take up FairTax legislation.

Americans spend $265 billion and use 6.1 billion hours every year filing tax forms money that could be better spent investing in a new business, buying a home, or saving for college, Crenshaw added. With passage of the Republican budget, we are closer to House consideration of a FairTax and replacement of 70,000 pages of outdated code with one, transparent national sales tax on goods and services, administered primarily by the states.

This Republican plan balances the budget and lays out a long-term vision to create jobs and grow the economy and provides economic peace of mind for millions of Americans, Crenshaw concluded. While tremendous challenges are ahead and much more work to be done, I am proud to support the Path to Prosperity as a step toward a stronger nation.

Democrats went on the attack, insisting Ryans proposal would do nothing besides help higher earning Americans.

"The American people have consistently rejected Republican Budget Chairman Paul Ryans plan to give the wealthiest Americans another tax cut and pay for it by dismantling the Medicare guarantee, hiking taxes on middle class families, and slashing critical investments in our nations future, said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla. Unfortunately, that has not stopped my Republican colleagues from once again embracing these dangerously misplaced priorities.

"The Ryan budget is an assault on seniors, students, and families struggling to pull themselves out of poverty, Deutch added. First, it makes radical cuts to vital assistance for low-income families, like anti-hunger programs for poor women with infant children, affordable child care provided through Headstart, and Pell Grants that help low-income students earn their degrees. Then, the GOP budget slashes the kinds of investments in research, infrastructure, and education that would create economic opportunity for these Americans. All told, at least three-quarters of the GOP budgets $4.3 trillion in nondefense cuts target programs that hurt those who can least afford it, all the while giving tax cuts to billionaires who dont need them.

"Our deficit has dropped to its lowest level in half a decade and yet millions of Americans are struggling with long-term unemployment, historically-low wages, and poverty, Deutch concluded. What Chairman Ryan and his colleagues fail to realize is that we will never get our fiscal house in order without closing our jobs deficit, growing the paychecks of middle class families, and advancing economic opportunity."