Here are the full statements from Republican congressmen from our part of the state on why they did not sign a letter sent by Virginia’s congressional delegation to leaders in Washington, pleading for action to avoid sequestration.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, 6th District:

The House has already voted twice to replace the sequester’s effects with responsible and targeted spending reductions.  It is now up to the Senate and the President to propose a solution of their own so that the acts outlined in the letter, and their effects on Virginia, are averted. Our nation is broke, and getting us back on a responsible fiscal path will take real spending reductions and true economic growth.

Rep. Morgan Griffith, 9th District:

The House has already dealt with alternatives to sequestration on May 10 and December 20, and we have not received a reasonable response from the President or the Senate. The President made a deal when he proposed the sequestration. That deal was budget cuts in exchange for a debt ceiling increase. Now – a year and a half later – he wants to change the terms of that deal.

I generally don’t care for cutting across the board, and I am willing to look at smarter, targeted cuts instead.  However, the letter did not make any specific recommendations to avert sequestration.

Rep. Robert Hurt, 5th District:

I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to replace the sequestration with responsible spending reforms and I have voted to do so on two separate occasions. In May of 2012, I supported legislation that would achieve true deficit reduction while stopping the sequester. In December of 2012, I supported an additional measure that would replace the sequester with thoughtful spending reductions. We need action, not words as this deadline nears. The House has acted to replace the sequester – it is time for the Senate and the President to turn their words into action.