Sen. Whitehouse Statement on President's Budget

Statement

President Obama today delivered his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017 to Congress. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the statement below on the President's proposal:

"President Obama's budget includes a number of priorities I've been fighting for in the Senate, most notably putting a price on the significant health and environmental costs of carbon pollution, through the per-barrel fee on oil companies. And it continues to promote American leadership in clean-energy research and development. It demonstrates the President's commitment to ending the epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse. It would strengthen Pell Grants so more Americans can get the education they need to land a good job, and create an automatic IRA program to help millions save for retirement. I was also glad to see funding included for the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, a resource for infrastructure, restoration, and research to protect our oceans and coastal communities, which I worked to establish.

"The President's budget is the first step in the annual process, set forth in the Congressional Budget Act, by which the Legislative and Executive Branches work to establish short- and long-term policy and fiscal goals. Even if the Budget Committee isn't going to hold hearings on this plan, it remains an important document in our process and I thank the President for presenting his vision for the coming years."

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