(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after the Office of Management and Budget released their report on the impact of sequestration across both defense as well as non-defense spending. Murray worked with Senator McCain and others to pass the legislation calling for this report.

“This report makes it even clearer that we need to replace sequestration in a balanced way that works for middle class families and includes both responsible spending cuts and new revenue from the wealthiest Americans.

“These bipartisan automatic cuts were put in place to give both sides a strong incentive to make a deal, and they are not going to go away simply because nobody wants them to be enacted. They are going to have to be replaced, and that replacement is going to have to be balanced.

“What Republicans aren’t saying when they are yelling and screaming about these cuts is that they helped pass them into law and that they can just as easily help make them go away. But thus far they have been unwilling to face up to the reality that it will take a balanced approach to make that happen.

“I am pleased to see that true to President Obama’s commitment to our nation’s heroes, this report exempts veterans and military personnel accounts from cuts. After all these men and women and their families have been asked to do for our safety and security, they should be the last to be asked to make additional sacrifices.

“Democrats are willing to compromise to get a bipartisan deal to avoid these cuts, and if Republicans are serious about avoiding sequestration, then they will stop fighting to protect the rich from paying a penny more in taxes and work with us on a balanced and fair replacement.”