WASHINGTON – Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement regarding his support for the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 332-94:

“The agreement approved by the House of Representatives today honors the principles I pledged to support when I came to Washington: It reduces the deficit and reforms unsustainable spending programs without raising taxes.

“Unlike the deal to raise the debt ceiling in October, which was produced in the absence any meaningful bipartisan cooperation and without any substantive fiscal reforms, today’s agreement was produced through a real and deliberative process that will result in modest reforms representing an important step in the right direction.

“This agreement sets the very important precedent of trading short-term, temporary sequester relief for long-term, permanent reform of mandatory spending, which is the true driver of our long term debt.  Perhaps most importantly, this agreement does not ask more of hardworking taxpayers and removes the threat of another government shutdown.”

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