Larsen: Super Committee Failure a Disappointment; Will Continue to Seek Real Deficit Reduction

Statement

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today after the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction announced they would not produce a plan to reduce the deficit.

"I am disappointed that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction failed to produce a plan to cut the deficit.

"At the end of the day, this committee failed because Republicans on the panel refused to consider a balanced approach to deficit reduction. Democrats were willing to put major spending programs on the table, but Republicans insisted on protecting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while asking fixed-income seniors to sacrifice more through cuts to Social Security and Medicaid. That makes no sense at all.

"I remain steadfastly committed to a balanced approach to major deficit reduction.

"I voted for the debt deal that put in spending caps that will result in $917 billion in deficit reduction over ten years. I have joined more than 100 of my colleagues from both parties to call for deficit reduction totaling $4 trillion--far greater than the Joint Committee sought to achieve.

"While the Joint Committee did not produce a plan, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle must not and can not throw in the towel."

Source