Gillibrand Named "Blue Dog of the Week"

Press Release

Gillibrand Named "Blue Dog of the Week"

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition today honored newly elected Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand by naming her the "Blue Dog of the Week." Gillibrand was recognized for her commitment to restoring fiscal responsibility and accountability to government.

"The Blue Dog Coalition commends Kirsten Gillibrand for her leadership, hard work, and determination to restore fiscal discipline to the federal government," said Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications. "The American people deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and she has already become a leader in Congress to put our country back on a track to fiscal honesty and responsibility. We need more Representatives like Kirsten who are willing to work in a bipartisan fashion to make the tough decisions necessary to reduce the nearly $9 trillion debt."

"As a new member of Congress, it is an honor to be recognized by my Blue Dog Colleagues" Representative Gillibrand stated today. "These are very difficult times for our middle-class families, and in particular our Upstate New York Families, who are struggling to meet their monthly bills. As Blue Dogs, we need to respond to their needs, provide tax relief, and produce a fiscally responsible budget to all Americans."

Due to the efforts of Rep. Gillibrand and her Blue Dog colleagues, the House rules package for the 110th Congress was passed in the first 24 hours of the new session and includes key principles of the Coalition's 12-point plan to end the nation's addiction to deficit spending. Specifically, the package requires pay-as-you-go budget discipline, known as "PAYGO," with no new deficit spending. This rule was in place when the nation had its first balanced budget in nearly 30 years from 1998 to 2001. The rules package also requires full transparency by ending the abuse of special interest earmarks.

The conservative 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 44 members of the Blue Dog Coalition.

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