Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye signed his name to a Monday letter warning the House that GOP-proposed cuts could exclude the majority of Congress from spending debate and ultimately trigger a government shutdown.

“Should the House back out of last summer’s agreement and attempt to lower the FY 2013 discretionary level, the House would delay consideration of the appropriations bills,” Inouye and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., wrote. “This delay would significantly increase the likelihood of omnibus legislation – denying the majority of members of both the House and the Senate the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in FY 2013 spending decisions.  Importantly, the House’s action would risk a government shutdown.”

The senators also said that making cuts beyond what was agreed upon in last summer’s controversial debt talks a “breach of faith” that would break already fragile trust among lawmakers. 

“Rather than trying to tear down the (Budget Control Act), we should be holding it up as an example of what can be accomplished if we are willing to set aside our differences and work hard to find bipartisan solutions to our nation’s challenges,” they wrote.