*Deficit Reduction Committee
This week, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction began work on a roadmap to bring down our nation’s deficit and restore our fiscal health. They heard from Doug Elmendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office, who reiterated once again what we already know: our nation’s current fiscal position is not sustainable. We also know that the problem we’re facing stems in part from buying things without paying for them, including two wars, tax cuts for the wealthy, and a prescription drug program.
This afternoon, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that she has selected Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn, Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Xavier Becerra, and Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen to represent House Democrats on the joint bipartisan committee on deficit reduction. Reps. Clyburn, Becerra, and Van Hollen will bring to the process a strong grasp of the issues confronting our budget and a strong commitment to standing up for the needs of middle-class Americans while bringing our deficit under control and working to create jobs. I'm confident they will represent the views of our caucus and work diligently to reach a balanced agreement that will reduce the deficit and put our nation back on a fiscally sustainable path.