Sen. Murray on Sequestration

Democrats will only agree to a sequestration-replacement plan that includes revenue increases, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said today.

During a speech at the Brookings Institution, Murray said Democrats were not willing to accept “wildly imbalanced” plans during supercommittee deliberations, and are not willing to do the same now. Without a plan in place, the Pentagon is facing hundreds of billions of additional cuts in spending slated to kick in next year. “Anyone that tells you sequestration will disappear because both sides want to avoid it is either fooling themselves . . . [or fooling] you,” said Murray, who chaired the supercommittee whose failure to achieve a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction plan triggered sequestration. Murray is a member of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Murray said lawmakers have to deal with the planned cuts to both defense and domestic spending. She pointed to her efforts with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to call for an analysis of the impacts of sequestration across the defense and non-defense sectors as a way to help lawmakers on both sides to move forward.

Throughout much of the speech, Murray pointed the finger at Republicans unwilling to raise revenues, or increase taxes for the rich, as the major roadblock to solving the crisis. Unless the Republicans end their commitment to preventing tax increases, she contended, “our country will face the consequence of Republican intransigence.”

Murray said she's willing to talk anyone on either side of the aisle who is ready to compromise, and noted some glimmers of hope: Republicans, in backrooms and small numbers, are growing more willing to discuss the possibility of raising revenues, she said, noting that some are eager to engage in such discussions to protect the Pentagon.