On the recordJune 3, 2011
This week the Democratic and Republican caucuses met with President Obama to discuss the need to increase the debt ceiling. The President said we need to raise the debt ceiling soon, and I agree. Defaulting on our debt is not an option for a great Nation like ours. No one wants to send the economy into another tailspin. Now is the time to restore fiscal discipline. That is what the American people, the global financial markets, and U.S. creditors expect, and that is why I support the attachment of a strong deficit reduction plan to any increase in the debt ceiling. Congress should attach a balanced and broad-based budget plan to the debt ceiling increase. The plan should include smart cuts that would total at least $4 trillion over the next 10 years. The budget agreement should also protect important investments in a strong economic future. We can't delay any longer. We can't pass these tough decisions on to our children and grandchildren. The people we serve sent us here to get this done, and it is time for both sides to do just that. ____________________
