Blue Dogs Advance Fiscal Reform Agenda

Today, Representative Jim Matheson (D-UT), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications released the following statement on the Blue Dog Blueprint for Fiscal Reform and the status of statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) legislation.

"The Blue Dogs have fought for nine years to restore the same statutory pay-as-you-go rules that brought about budget surpluses in the 1990's. This proven effective, bipartisan budget enforcement tool was signed into law by both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton, and we look forward to sending this same commonsense legislation to President Obama's desk.

"We are also making significant progress in establishing a fiscal reform commission that will identify ways to balance the budget, and lay the groundwork for fiscally sustainable policies over the long run.

"With these measures, we are on the precipice of achieving real fiscal reform here in Washington. Now the real work begins.

"Restoring fiscal discipline to our federal government is not going to be easy, and success will require members on both sides of the aisle to rise above partisan politics and put forth their best ideas. The Blue Dogs recently released a blueprint for fiscal reform, a comprehensive plan aimed at fixing the underlying structural problems that have led to runaway spending and unmanageable deficits under both Democrats and Republicans. We look forward to working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle not only to enforce PAYGO and ensure the success of the fiscal reform commission, but to advance other commonsense ideas like those we have identified in this plan."

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