WASHINGTON, DC - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI) issued the following statement today after the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform failed to adopt a set of policy proposals drafted by its leaders:
“There is absolutely no question that we, as a nation, must get serious and address our long-term fiscal deficit. Even as we continue to take targeted steps to address the dire economic situation facing so many American families and businesses, Congress and this Administration must be keenly aware of the burden this debt places on future generations, and stand ready to roll up our sleeves to address this growing crisis.
“The Fiscal Commission’s work has shown both the urgency and the complexity of this critical issue and has increased the essential, national conversation that must occur around countless dinner tables as well as here in Washington. While they have failed to advance formally their proposal out of the Commission, they have helped to shine a brighter light on these issues, and offered ideas for a long-overdue discussion. Ultimately, proposals considered by this Commission proved to be imbalanced and unworkable due to the disproportionate burden they would place on America’s seniors and middle- and lower-income families.
“Now that they have finished their work, it is my hope that we can take their proposals and envelop them into a broader conversation with new ideas and energy toward solving our critical long-term fiscal deficit."
