Politics

Republican congressman opposes three-month sequester delay

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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Michigan Republican congressman Justin Amash became the first Capitol Hill legislator today to publicly acknowledge the likelihood of a vote to delay sequestration by three months.

“A vote to delay the sequester is a vote to continue the irresponsible & reckless behavior that got us a $16T debt,” Amash tweeted Monday morning.

A possible three-month delay of the sequester, until March, has been the subject of Washington media speculationMonday, but Amash is the first congressman to comment on the idea – and the first conservative to oppose it.

“Delaying sequester cuts for 3 months, would set up another cliff (with debt ceiling) in March,” ABC News White correspondent Jon Karl tweeted.

“3-month extension means next budget crisis combines sequester, debt ceiling, and potential government shutdown,” tweeted the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza.

Amash, a staunch fiscal conservative, has been a controversial figure during the fiscal cliff crisis, losing his seat on the House Budget Committee this month, potentially for his public refusals to get on board with House Speaker John Boehner’s platform.

Amash could not immediately be reached for comment.

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