Ed Markey: “I come to bring a very important subject to the attention of my colleagues. ``Sequestration'' is just a fancy word for…”

“I come to bring a very important subject to the attention of my colleagues. ``Sequestration'' is just a fancy word for cuts, mindless cuts. That is why I have always opposed sequestration. This thoughtless, across- the-board approach to the Federal budget has harmed States across the country, but its effect on Massachusetts has been disproportionate. Sequestration significantly reduced Federal research and development funding for science and medicine. That is Massachusetts. Investments in those fields are critical to our economy with its world-class universities, medical centers, industry-leading bio- and high-tech companies, and clean-tech industries exploding with new technologies. This is the future of our country. This is the future of the 21st century. This is what we must be investing in: research and technology, research and science. I am pleased that for the next 2 years this budget agreement will give us desperately needed relief from sequestration and will extend the debt limit. This legislation will also protect vulnerable Americans who rely on Medicare and Social Security. It will ensure that for the next 7 years, millions who depend on the Social Security disability program do not face a benefit cut. The legislation will also help millions of seniors by avoiding a Gronk-like spike in Medicare premiums. But this bill comes with a price: more unwanted calls and texts to Americans.…”