Congressman Ross responds to President’s speech on fiscal responsibility
April 13, 2011
Blue Dogs continue to urge bipartisanship in the House
Today Congressman Mike Ross (D-Ark.), Blue Dog Co-Chair, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's remarks on fiscal responsibility.
"The Blue Dogs are encouraged that the President has come forward in support of efforts to put a plan in place for real, sustainable deficit reduction over the long term. For far too long, ideological extremes on both sides have driven the debate over spending in Washington. We can no longer afford to run to separate corners and hide behind talking points. We have to get serious about putting our country back on a fiscally sustainable path, and no one party can do it alone.
"With the continued efforts of the ‘Gang of Six' in the Senate, and the President's support going forward, the Blue Dogs are encouraged that a bipartisan compromise is within reach, and we look forward to advancing the conversation in the House in a productive and bipartisan manner."
Last month, the Coalition announced its Blue Dog Benchmarks for Fiscal Reform – an aggressive set of targets for long-term fiscal reform and deficit reduction that includes cutting the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10 years, with the largest deficit cuts in history by 2014. The Blue Dogs also advocated keeping all options on the table in an effort to bring Republicans and Democrats together for a responsible, bipartisan discussion about the long-term fiscal health of the country. Following are the Blue Dog Benchmarks for Fiscal Reform:
"The Blue Dogs are encouraged that the President has come forward in support of efforts to put a plan in place for real, sustainable deficit reduction over the long term. For far too long, ideological extremes on both sides have driven the debate over spending in Washington. We can no longer afford to run to separate corners and hide behind talking points. We have to get serious about putting our country back on a fiscally sustainable path, and no one party can do it alone.
"With the continued efforts of the ‘Gang of Six' in the Senate, and the President's support going forward, the Blue Dogs are encouraged that a bipartisan compromise is within reach, and we look forward to advancing the conversation in the House in a productive and bipartisan manner."
Last month, the Coalition announced its Blue Dog Benchmarks for Fiscal Reform – an aggressive set of targets for long-term fiscal reform and deficit reduction that includes cutting the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10 years, with the largest deficit cuts in history by 2014. The Blue Dogs also advocated keeping all options on the table in an effort to bring Republicans and Democrats together for a responsible, bipartisan discussion about the long-term fiscal health of the country. Following are the Blue Dog Benchmarks for Fiscal Reform:
- Largest deficit cuts in history by 2014
- Cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10 years
- Stabilize the debt and maintain a debt ratio to 60 percent of GDP by 2024
- Return to 2008 spending levels by 2013
- Reduce the deficit to 2.3 percent of GDP in 4 years
- Reduce the size of government
- Achieve deficit reduction with 2/3 spending cuts, 1/3 tax reform
- Everything must be on the table:
- Discretionary Spending Cuts – both security and non-security
- Tax Reform
- Entitlement Reform
- Other Mandatory Policies
- Process Reforms
The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 25 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. Click here for an electronic version of this release.
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