Mark Pryor: “today I rise in support of S. 1963, the Military Pay Restoration Act. Last year, the Senate passed the Bipartisan Budget…”

“today I rise in support of S. 1963, the Military Pay Restoration Act. Last year, the Senate passed the Bipartisan Budget Act--a bipartisan and bicameral agreement that funded our government, provided stability for our economy, and reduced our deficit by over $22 billion. I think my colleagues and the American people will agree that last year was tough. We saw the delay of the farm bill, the government shutdown, and the debt ceiling. Needless to say, this budget agreement was a positive step forward. However, I will be the first to admit--and I think I maybe was the first to admit, possibly--that this wasn't perfect, especially when it came to the harmful budget cuts made at the expense of our men and women in uniform. There is no question we need to cut our spending. I think almost everyone in this Chamber agrees with that, and I think so many Americans agree with that, but we must do it responsibly. We can address the isues we all talk about, such as cutting waste and fraud and abuse. We can be smart and eliminate items--again, once we think about them and roll up our sleeves and do the hard work and recognize we should--such as unnecessary government property purchases and maintenance, and pursue other cuts such as out-of-date and inefficient programs. All of those issues should be addressed. But we cannot balance the budget on the backs of our hard-working military members and their families.…”