Statement on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

Statement

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, today issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the committee had not reached an agreement on a deficit reduction plan.

"I am very disappointed that the Joint Committee was unable to develop a plan to boost job growth and reduce the long-term deficit in a predictable, balanced way. This was a huge missed opportunity for the country.

"Many will portray this failure as the inevitable consequence of two partisan sides refusing to give ground. Blaming both sides equally will be the simple storyline and the path of least resistance. And it will be easy for people to deride any attempt to explain what happened as more partisan finger-pointing. That approach would be as easy as it would be wrong. It would ignore everyone's responsibility to seek the facts and the truth. In the days ahead, I urge the public and the media to carefully review the facts and record about what prevented the Joint Committee from developing a sound and balanced plan. I look forward to that discussion.
"At this moment, however, I believe this is a sad day for the nation and an opportunity missed."

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