Congressman Disappointed by Deficit Committee’s Inaction

Today, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction issued a statement saying that it would not come to a bipartisan solution by its stated deadline.

"Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve,” a announcement stated.

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks County) called this announcement a “missed opportunity.”

“It is disappointing that this Committee did not produce a deal but I am going to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what needs to be done to reduce our crushing debt,” he said.

This is Fitzpatrick’s full statement followed by the Joint Select Committee’s statement:

“The announcement today by the members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction that a bipartisan deal would not be reached before their deadline represents a major missed opportunity.  I joined ninety-nine of my colleagues from both parties in a letter to the Joint Select Committee earlier this month asking them to ‘go big’, and put everything on the table to reach a target of $4 trillion instead of the $1.2 trillion set out by the Budget Control Act.  I think that this demonstrates that there was a bipartisan coalition of us ready to make some tough decisions. It is disappointing that this Committee did not produce a deal but I am going to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what needs to be done to reduce our crushing debt.”

 “Since the beginning of this Congress, I have consistently supported bipartisan efforts to bring our debt and deficits under control.  In order to make any substantial progress in lowering the debt and restoring faith in our economy, we need comprehensive tax reform and we need to change the way Washington spends. I was a cosponsor on the Balanced Budget Amendment and I have worked to pass deficit-reduction measures which address our fiscal problems with the seriousness that the situation demands.  The House of Representatives is the only branch to have successfully passed a budget while Senate has not acted in over 900 days. I am confident that while the outcome of the Joint Select Committee was not what many of us were hoping for, the House will continue to work to reduce our deficits, begin paying down our debt, and pursue policies that will allow the private sector to grow and create jobs to put Americans back to work.”

Statement from Co-Chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction Representative Jeb Hensarling and Senator Patty Murray:

"After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.

"Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve.  We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy.

"We are deeply disappointed that we have been unable to come to a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement, but as we approach the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving, we want to express our appreciation to every member of this committee, each of whom came into the process committed to achieving a solution that has eluded many groups before us. Most importantly, we want to thank the American people for sharing thoughts and ideas and for providing support and good will as we worked to accomplish this difficult task.

"We would also like to thank our committee staff, in particular Staff Director Mark Prater and Deputy Staff Director Sarah Kuehl, as well as each committee member's staff for the tremendous work they contributed to this effort.  We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Douglas Elmendorf and Mr. Thomas Barthold and their teams at the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, respectively, for the technical support they provided to the committee and its members."