PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Rhode Island Senate unanimously approved a bi-partisan resolution Wednesday urging Congress to reach a deal to avert Friday's sequester.
Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, said she was particularly concerned about the effect sequestration would have on the defense industry in her hometown.
"Across Rhode Island, and particularly on Aquidneck Island, defense funding is a crucial part of our overall economy," she said in a statement. "I urge Congress to act swiftly to avoid making funding cuts which would be detrimental to our state's economy, educational services, unemployment benefits, and other services upon which Rhode Islanders rely."
Senate Minority Leader Dennis L. Algiere, R-Westerly, agreed: "Sequestration could send our state in the wrong direction, potentially reversing the strides we've made in recent years to get back on the right track."
The resolution was introduced by Paiva Weed and co-sponsored by Algiere and Senate Majority Leader Dominick J. Ruggerio, D-North Providence.