Pallone Votes 'No' On Debt Bill

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. issued the following statement on Monday after voting against the debt bill that was approved by the House:

"I disagree with this bill because of what it does and what it fails to do. It sets up vital services such as Medicare and Social Security for potential future cuts and it does nothing to create jobs or help the stumbling economic recovery.

"Social Security and Medicare are programs that hard-working Americans have contributed to and rely on for their senior years. They should be protected and improved, not left vulnerable to automatic or discretionary cuts in the years to come. I support budget cuts but they should be smart ones that don't harm our country's most vulnerable citizens and don't undermine opportunities for all Americans.

"America's priority should be to create jobs and repair a damaged economy. But, I see no effort to grow the economy or decrease unemployment with this bill. It may have the opposite impact. We can go a long way towards solving the debt problem by putting people back to work and growing the economy.

"Congress should now leave behind what was a consuming debate on default and shift its attention to where it belongs: creating jobs and economic recovery "