Tester: President’s budget ‘raises questions’ about priorities

Senator calls for ‘credible, long-term plan to get our fiscal house in order’

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement in response to the President’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2012:

“This budget proposal raises a lot of questions about where the priorities of this administration are.  As we prioritize cutting spending and cutting debt, folks in rural America shouldn’t shoulder more than our share of the burden.  That’s exactly what will happen if we gut home heating while dumping billions into high-speed rail for urban areas—as this plan proposes.

“We must work now together on a credible, long-term plan to get our fiscal house in order.  As we do that, it’s critical that we create jobs and build our economy.  And we certainly can’t strip benefits away from America’s veterans.  That’s my yardstick as we move forward with a common sense budget to create jobs, cut spending and cut the debt.”