Washington - Congressman K. Michael Conaway issued the followed statement regarding his vote in favor of the Budget Agreement:

"I supported the budget agreement because the status quo is unacceptable.  Under the sequester our military faces an indiscriminate slashing of resources, which was never intended to happen.  The sequester was supposed to be offset by targeted cuts in spending instead of across the board cuts.  I am not thrilled about the increase in fees that are part of this deal.  My concerns about those fees are outweighed by the necessity of making sure that the men and women in the military have the training and resources they need.

"This agreement also for the first time makes meaningful adjustments to the federal employee pension benefit plan by requiring an increase in employee contributions.  This is a step in the right direction that brings federal employee benefit plans more in line with private sector plans.   

"This is far from a perfect deal and work on a long-term deal that reins in our federal budget deficit and addresses entitlement spending should begin immediately.

"My support for this agreement in no way diminishes my commitment to addressing our nation’s long-term fiscal problems." 

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