SHAHEEN SUPPORTS DEFICIT REDUCTION MEASURES

(Washington, D.C.) –U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today supported two deficit reduction measures that would reduce wasteful spending.  Both were passed by the U.S. Senate.

“If we are serious about deficit reduction, we have to eliminate duplicative government programs. We have to stop giving millionaires unemployment benefits. We have to make smart choices that eliminate wasteful spending,” Shaheen said.

The spending cut measures were proposed by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) as amendments to the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Reauthorization Act.

One amendment (Coburn Amendment #273 to S.493) would adopt recommendations in a Government Accountability Office report that suggest eliminating duplicative government programs. This would save at least $5 billion. This passed in a vote of 64-36.

The other amendment (Coburn Amendment #281 to S.493) would prohibit the use of any federal funds to provide unemployment compensation to people earning more than a million dollars a year. Bill sponsors estimate this would save up to $20 million a year. This passed the Senate unanimously.