Dan Kildee: “It's now March 5, and sequestration cuts are starting to take effect. Instead of working together to find a compromise…”

“It's now March 5, and sequestration cuts are starting to take effect. Instead of working together to find a compromise that would avoid these automatic spending cuts, House Republicans stood by and watched the March 1 deadline come and go. Now, $85 billion in deep, indiscriminate cuts that will eliminate 31,000 Michigan jobs are upon us. These cuts will harm Michigan families and slash programs that my constituents rely on every day. And many of the most dire consequences of the sequester won't be felt immediately. The truth is, due to Republican inaction, the wheels are now in motion, and we are on a course that has real negative impacts on millions of Americans. Congress should be working to find a bipartisan solution to avoid these indiscriminate cuts. Democrats put forth a plan to stop the sequester. I know, I cosponsored it. House Republicans would not even let it come to the floor for a vote. Mr. Speaker, we need to work on an approach that will fix sequestration while reducing the deficit responsibly. I stand ready to act. So do my Democratic colleagues. Let's get to work. ____________________”