Matheson Responds to State of the Union Address

Representative Jim Matheson (D-UT), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications, issued the following statement tonight in response to President Obama's State of the Union address.

"It is time that we roll up our sleeves and do what it takes to rein in government spending and balance the budget," said Representative Jim Matheson. "The system is broken, and neither political party is without blame.

"Just this week the Blue Dogs put forth a comprehensive blueprint for fiscal reform aimed at reducing the deficit. Tonight, the President echoed several of our proposals, including the need for a bipartisan fiscal reform commission, and a return to the proven pay-as-you-go budget rules that helped produce budget surpluses in the 1990's. We appreciate the President's support of these critical fiscal reform measures and will continue to work with our colleagues in the House and Senate in the coming days to make both a reality.

"Over the next several weeks, we will also begin reaching out to Democrats and Republicans to join the Blue Dogs in our efforts to produce the true structural reform that our country so badly needs. We are hopeful that we can begin to work together as members of Congress to change the way Washington operates, and in doing so, put the country back on a fiscally sustainable path," said Matheson.

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