Press Release
We had a good meeting in the White House yesterday. I think a good, frank discussion. I think the President’s speech laid out essentially what the Commission that he appointed, which was headed by former Chief of Staff Bowles and former Senator Alan Simpson, which said yes, we need to bring spending down. I think that’s generally agreed upon. We’ve got to rein in deficit and debt, it’s dangerous to our economy, our people and our competitiveness internationally. What the President indicated yesterday was yes, we’ve got it bring it down. We’re going to cut spending by about two-thirds of that $4 trillion he wants to cut over the next 12 years and rely on revenues, that is paying for what we buy, for the other third, which is essentially the formula that the Commission set forward. David Stockman in referring to the alternative Ryan budget made it very clear that he thought that was not a reasonable alternative. And that in fact, we had to rely to a much greater degree than the Republicans, who say absolutely no, on revenues.
Thank you for inviting me to testify today on the important work of the Election Assistance Commission—and why we must make sure that work continues.
Tomorrow, Republicans will mark their 100th day in the House majority, and it is now clear that they will have failed to consider even a single piece of legislation to create jobs. Today, underscoring that inaction, instead of trying to help put Americans back to work, they voted to repeal an important program to help Americans stay healthy, and help our country save money.
Budgets are a reflection of values and priorities, and the Democratic budget introduced today shows that we are focused on strengthening the economy and bringing down the deficit. This budget lays out an alternate vision of how we can reduce the deficit while protecting investments in job creation and the future of our economy. It reduces the deficit in a balanced way, unlike the Republican budget which makes working families and seniors bear the burden while cutting taxes for the wealthy and special interests. I want to commend Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen for his work on putting together this budget.
Well, I thought the President's speech was an excellent speech and what he essentially outlined was the vision that he sees going forward. First of all, he recognized that the deficit is a critical problem we must confront but we must confront it according to the President, and I agree with him, within the framework of the values that we hold dear in this country. And that is, as your previous discussion indicated, making sure that we take care of one another. He did contrast his vision with that of the Republican budget offered by Mr. Ryan, the Budget Chairman in the House, a vision which gets to the same objective of cutting $4 trillion in spending and getting toward balanced budgets but also indicated it should not be in the context of doing away with Medicare as we know it, substantially putting those on Medicaid at great risk by eliminating its guarantees, by cutting such programs as Head Start and other early education and investment in the education of our children so we will be competitive internationally; and at the same time, giving $1 trillion worth of tax cuts to the wealthiest in Americaa.
Today, President Obama outlined a fiscally-responsible plan that would reduce our deficit by $4 trillion over the next 12 years. It subjects our entire budget, including defense spending, to the scrutiny we need to find savings. And it calls for a fairer, simpler tax code that would mean lower rates for businesses and families.
I am deeply saddened by the death of Sidney Harman, an outstanding civic leader and husband of my good friend, Congresswoman Jane Harman. Sidney was a dynamic businessman and philanthropist who left lasting legacies in fields as diverse as education, the arts, and journalism. He lived a long and remarkable life, and I know that his achievements will long outlive him. At this sad time, my thoughts and condolences are with his wife, Congresswoman Harman, his children, and all those who mourn his passing.
On the CR, I'm still looking at it and our members are still looking at it, but clearly we want to keep the government running. Clearly we needed to reach compromise, and I think the President and Mr. Reid tried to reach the best compromise that was possible.
On Equal Pay Day we recognize the extra amount of time a woman must work – from January 1, 2010 to April 12, 2011 – for her wages to equal what a man could earn during 2010 alone. Today, women earn just 75% of what men earn, and the wage gap is even greater for minority women and older women. With women making a growing share of family income, this inequity is felt by families throughout the country. It is past time for this injustice to come to an end.
I'm pleased President Obama will be giving a speech this week to lay out a path of action to seriously address our nation's deficit. I strongly believe that reducing the deficit is critical to ensuring the long-term strength of our economy. Entitlement reform must be part of that effort, to ensure that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are protected for seniors and working families, as well as strong for generations to come. This can only be done in a bipartisan way, and I hope Republicans work with us and put all options on the table. I support President Obama's focus on this issue, and stand ready to work with him.