Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the path to deficit reduction is difficult, but some of the essentials are clear for all to see. We must cut spending, which will require real sacrifice on the part of American families. We must also add revenue, which has plunged so dramatically thanks to Bush-era tax cuts that flow primarily to the wealthiest among us. And we must avoid proposals that would see the most vulnerable among us pay the highest price for deficit reduction. That is the path a broad array of budget experts, Democratic and Republican, tell us is the only way to relieve our debt problem. And it is the path the American people tell us they understand that we need to take. In survey after survey, poll after poll, Americans voice their support for a balanced approach to deficit reduction, one in which we cut spending, yes, but also address revenues by closing tax loopholes and asking the wealthiest among us to share in the sacrifices that are required to bring down the deficit. And they tell us, unequivocally, that they do not want us to fall short of our commitment to the most vulnerable, especially those who depend on Social Security and Medicare for a secure retirement. So this is the true path to deficit reduction: targeted and sometimes painful spending cuts; closing tax loopholes, asking wealthy taxpayers to join in the sacrifices we must make; and protecting the social safety net on which our most vulnerable citizens depend. We can choose that path, difficult though it may be.…”