Van Hollen Supports Fiscal Responsibility And PAYGO Rules

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Assistant to the Speaker, issued the following statement on fiscal responsibility and reinstituting statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules:

"I applaud the President's announcement today that he will submit a proposal to Congress to reinstitute statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules, and I commend Congressman John Tanner and the Blue Dog Coalition for their consistent commitment to this issue. PAYGO rules are a part of a larger effort by Congress and President Obama to restore fiscal responsibility after years of reckless spending by the previous Administration and former Republican majority. Even as we take swift action to address the worst recession in decades we must redouble our efforts to get our fiscal house back in order. That's why Congress has spearheaded a historic effort to combat waste, fraud and abuse, and President Obama has ordered a line-by-line review of the budget for places to reduce spending, already identifying savings of $17 billion for next year alone. Reinstituting PAYGO rules, which helped to create the surpluses in the 1990s, is another step in the right direction. Fixing the economic crisis that grew out of an "anything goes" approach to governing won't happen overnight but we must take steps to avoid passing it along to future generations."

Source