Harry Reid Defends Spending Deal: “We Stayed True To Our Values”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
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As Americans pore over the newly released details of the bipartisan $39.9 billion in cuts agreed to last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid is defending the deal as a success for Democrats.

“While both parties may agree, in principle, that a budget is more than simply a collection of numbers, our priorities couldn’t be more different,” Reid said in a statement. He went on to list a number of areas where the GOP failed to secure their demands, repeatedly declaring that Democrats “stayed true to our values,” and used the agreement to highlight key differences between the parties.

“Throughout this debate, we stayed true to our values,” he said. “The American people noticed, and they’re glad we did. By clear majorities, our constituents are glad we stood up for health reform, for women’s health, for cleaner air, and on and on.”

In addition to funding health care reform, Reid noted that the final deal removed proposed GOP cuts to the Social Security Administration, to implementing Wall Street reform, and to education scholarships, while also fending off policy riders intended to stymie environmental protection regulations and access to women’s health services.

“This budget battle has once again illustrated for the American people the fundamental differences between the two parties,” he said. “In some cases, our priorities are poles apart. That’s obvious to the American people – as well it should be. They are the ones who will always decide which of their representatives’ morals most closely match their own.”

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