Today Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) issued the following statement on the budget agreement reached between the White House and Congressional leaders, averting until 2017 another debt limit fight and setting funding levels for the next two years:

“Last night a federal budget deal was reached between U.S. House and Senate leaders as well as the Obama administration. I am encouraged by this deal, but will be reviewing it carefully.

“If this deal is agreed to by Congress, it will pave the way for a smooth start to beginning of the next speaker’s administration by doing away with harmful across-the-board sequester cuts and providing budget certainty for the next two years.

“Under the deal, the current limits on total spending would be increased by $50 billion in FY 2016 and by $30 billion in 2017, along with $32 billion in additional Overseas Contingency Operations funding over the two-year period. Offsets will be implemented by savings in other parts of the budget.”

“Importantly, included in the budget are fixes to the Social Security disability insurance trust fund and Medicare Part B premiums. The agreement prevents a 20 percent across-the-board cut in benefits for 11 million Social Security disability insurance beneficiaries which was to take effect next year, as well as a 52 percent premium hike for Medicare Part B enrollees. This is similar to legislation I co-sponsored earlier this month to avoid these premium hikes by holding premiums to 2015 levels.

“I am glad that both Republicans and Democrats are working together as we reach a number of fiscal cliffs. By averting them, the United States Congress will be doing its job of helping the American people and not jeopardizing our country’s financial future.”