The Bay State Republican, who is up for reelection in 2012, spoke out against a potential government shutdown this afternoon on the Senate floor:
M. President, a government shutdown absolutely serves no purpose and is in no one’s best interests. It’s not in our country’s best interests; it’s not in workers’ best interests; it’s not in the global economy’s best interest. And I stand ready to do what needs to be done to ensure that we don’t shutdown the government.
Now, I am encouraged by the recent developments in the negotiations, with news breaking yesterday that a possible “deal” is close or very possible. This is good news, but with six continuing resolutions under our belts already, I know better than to think we’re out of the woods and will definitely avoid a shutdown.
More:
We must be mindful that many of the proposed spending reductions would disproportionately affect the neediest among us, including housing and heating assistance. Likewise, some of the proposed cuts would be economically counterproductive, negatively impacting our ability to innovate and invest in research and development.
This does not need to be so.
Our efforts to reduce spending and rein in our deficit and debt do not need to be a false choice or result in a zero sum negotiation.
I am absolutely committed to reducing our country’s deficit and believe that deficit reduction is a necessary goal for the betterment of our country. But I am equally committed to the notion that deficit reduction should not be achieved in isolation of our priorities as a government and as a society.