SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO STATEMENT ON TODAY’S SENATE SEQUESTRATION VOTES

Washington, D.C. -- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement today following the defeat of the compromise proposal to replace sequestration in the Senate:

“Letting these arbitrary spending cuts go into place is no way to run a government. They are bad for our national security, bad for our economy and bad for jobs. The Obama Administration, military leaders, industry groups and economists from across the spectrum have shown that these cuts would slow our economy’s recovery, hurt our military readiness and cause job losses.

“The compromise proposal I voted for today was a balanced approach that would have significantly reduced the size and scope of these cuts by closing loopholes that benefit the very wealthy and big corporations, and I am disappointed that it didn’t pass. Meanwhile, the alternative plan offered by my Republican colleagues would have done nothing to reduce the size of these cuts or the number of jobs these cuts could eliminate. Forcing the President to choose where the axe will fall instead of addressing the job killing cuts themselves is not the solution families in Hawaii want.

“As public pressure continues to mount in the coming days, I hope all parties will come back to the negotiating table and find a way to reverse some, if not all, of these devastating cuts in the very near future.”