The Simpson-Bowles commission, the bipartisan commission, set $4 trillion in deficit reduction as their 10 year window.

Closing the door on that slush fund, I believe, will achieve real savings as we move into the out years.

It seems perfectly reasonable, and I think an ordinary American watching this proceeding would agree that you should be able to count the effort we made already toward the $4 trillion.

Ninety-eight percent of our Republican colleagues have signed a pledge saying they won't close one special interest tax loophole for the purpose of deficit reduction.

This isn't just my opinion and that of these bipartisan groups--economists like Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have also argued against immediate spending cuts that will jeopardize our economic recovery.

that balance is what our Republican colleagues have objected to

I think after your testimony in the Senate yesterday that you are already battle-tested.

I think what we see here in the president's budget is a responsible approach

the question is not whether to reduce the deficits, the question has been how do we reduce the deficit

CBO recently released its budget and economic outlook, and the news for Social Security is alarming.

Well, I am telling you there is a lot of common ground. Steny Hoyer and I have worked together.

This is not about the politics of envy or class warfare, this about how do we solve a deficit problem in a way that asks for shared responsibility.

I think what the president has proposed is that we want to achieve a net of $1.5 trillion in additional revenue, and doing it in a way that protects middle income taxpayers, but does ask the folks at the very top to pay more.

I dare say that Republicans and Democrats alike agree that the sequester is not the best way to achieve that deficit reduction.

We should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations.

this is a responsible budget that begins to turn the corner in terms of the deficits and is very important in terms of job creation.

I think the American people are tired of empty rhetoric and are looking for constructive solutions, so let's see if we can get somewhere.

In-sourcing is a critical policy decision. This is a big deal, I think, with people.