Blue Dog Members Attend White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit

Leading members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition released the following statements today after attending the fiscal responsibility summit hosted by President Obama at the White House:

"Today's Fiscal Summit at the White House was an important first step in a long, difficult process to get our federal deficit and national debt under control. I commend President Obama for taking this critical step and for bringing a diverse set of interests to the table, including Democrats and Republicans from both houses of Congress and federal agencies, as well as representatives of industry organizations to participate in the discussion," said Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration. "The dialogue at the White House today certainly illustrated that finding consensus on ways to cut spending and reform the budget process will be difficult and no one anticipates an easy road ahead. However, I'm confident that with the President's stated commitment to paying for what we spend and a willingness on behalf of Congress to make tough decisions throughout the legislative process, we can make significant progress in getting our country back on track to fiscal responsibility. As we tackle these enormously important issues, I encourage my colleagues to participate constructively in the discussion as we move forward and avoid seeking political opportunities instead of genuine solutions."

"Today's Fiscal Summit was about coming together, taking a hard look at our long-term fiscal realities, and charting a course to fiscal responsibility and economic growth," said Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL). "The Blue Dogs are encouraged by the steps President Obama is taking to address our long-term fiscal problems, not just through this Fiscal Summit, but also through his commitment to statutory PAYGO. Like the Blue Dogs, President Obama knows that our long-term fiscal problems are substantial and bipartisan solutions are needed. It is my hope that the bipartisan conversations that began at today's summit will continue so that we can begin to restore fiscal responsibility and spur long-term economic growth."

"The Blue Dog Coalition is ready to work with others – including the White House and those on the other side of the aisle – to turn our country's fiscal policies back around following several years of massive borrowing," said Rep. John Tanner (D-TN). "Once our immediate economic challenges are met and we have addressed the downward economic spiral, we will be able to return our focus to medium- and long-term fiscal reform to leave a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren."

"While these current deficit numbers are staggering, the journey towards fiscal balance begins with a single step, such as the bipartisan discussion today at the President's fiscal summit. I think everyone knows that the scope of the problem demands that we put aside politics as usual and forge a new path," said Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT).

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