Final Budget Resolution Reflects Blue Dog Priorities

Press Release

Coalition Members Reinforce Commitment to PAYGO, Fiscal Discipline

Today, members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition applauded Budget Committee leaders in both the House and Senate for working together to successfully reach agreement on a fiscally responsible, PAYGO compliant FY ‘09 budget conference report. Over the past several months, Blue Dog members have worked extensively with Chairman Spratt and Chairman Conrad to ensure that the measure meets strict standards of fiscal discipline, including a firm commitment to the extension of statutory PAYGO requirements and the elimination of wasteful government spending.

"With the Blue Dogs' leadership, we have adopted a fiscally responsible budget that complies with PAYGO, reaches balance by 2012 and eliminates wasteful spending," said Congressman Dennis Moore (D-KS), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy. "Putting together a budget that addresses our country's needs and priorities is often a difficult task, but we should not let this deter us from our efforts to restore fiscal discipline as a priority of Congress after years of mismanagement."

The final budget conference report reflects the Blue Dog commitment to balancing the budget by providing fiscally responsible tax relief for millions of middle income Americans through a fully offset fix for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in 2008. Earlier this year, 26 Blue Dog members sent a letter to House and Senate leaders insisting that any future stimulus package or AMT relief be fully PAYGO compliant, demands that were met in negotiations on the final budget resolution.

"The Blue Dogs take our commitment to fiscal responsibility very seriously, and this budget conference report is another example of how Democrats are working to live up to this commitment," said Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration. "The Blue Dogs are proud to support this budget resolution, which gives us the tools to enforce strict PAYGO rules and put an end to the rampant borrow and spend policies of the current Administration. I would like to thank Chairman Spratt and Chairman Conrad for working with us to develop a budget conference report that adheres to PAYGO and makes steady progress to reverse our country's fiscal problems."

In addition to an expressed commitment to tackle the long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States, the budget conference report also cracks down on wasteful government spending within several major government programs and strengthens Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax enforcement to increase collection of unpaid taxes. The resolution also provides instructions to House committees to conduct regular performance reviews of programs, and to recommend legislative and administrative measures to improve them.

"The Blue Dogs' primary goal is to act as a positive and productive force for fiscal discipline in Congress," said Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications. "Through our negotiations with House and Senate Budget Committee leaders, we were able to reach agreement on a fiscally responsible, PAYGO compliant budget resolution. We applaud Chairman Spratt and Chairman Conrad for their hard work, and we look forward to working with them to enforce these budgetary guidelines in the future."

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 47 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/.

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