WASHINGTON, DC— Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and a bipartisan group of 100 Members in the U.S. House of Representatives released a letter today urging the Super Committee to exceed its $1.2 trillion mandate and recommend $4 trillion in deficit reduction. The letter was signed by a nearly equal proportion of Republicans and Democrats and urges “all options for mandatory and discretionary spending and revenues” be considered. Today’s effort is a result of the work of a small, bipartisan group of Members, including Himes, who have been meeting for months with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD-5) and Republican Congressman Mike Simpson (ID-2).
“I am proud to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan way to show we have the political courage to tackle our nation’s growing deficit,” Himes said. “I hope this letter along with the growing support in the Senate and from outside groups alike will result in decisive, bold recommendations from the Super Committee.”
Today’s letter shows unprecedented support for comprehensive deficit reduction. The group of signatories represents a wide range of ideologies and backgrounds, from the most liberal to the most conservative Members of Congress.
The 100 representatives who signed the letter join a growing chorus of lawmakers, business leaders, former government officials, and experts calling on the Super Committee to exceed its mandate and embrace comprehensive fiscal reform.
“This is a huge step forward for bipartisanship in Congress and makes the road to reaching an agreement on debt reduction all the more possible,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “Controlling our rising debt demands a bipartisan solution from both chambers of Congress – and the White House – to put a plan in place, to make it stick, and to ultimately restore confidence in the United States. And these brave lawmakers are working to do just that.”
The text and signatories of the letter follow this release.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Honorable Jeb Hensarling The Honorable Patty Murray
Co-Chair, Joint Select Committee on Co-Chair, Joint Select Committee on
Deficit Reduction Deficit Reduction
129 Cannon House Office Building 448 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510
Dear Congressman Hensarling, Senator Murray, and Members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction,
We write to you as a bipartisan group of representatives from across the political spectrum in the belief that the success of your committee is vital to our country’s future. We know that many in Washington and around the country do not believe we in the Congress and those within your committee can successfully meet this challenge. We believe that we can and we must.
To succeed, all options for mandatory and discretionary spending and revenues must be on the table. In addition, we know from other bipartisan frameworks that a target of some $4 trillion in deficit reduction is necessary to stabilize our debt as a share of the economy and assure America’s fiscal well-being.
Our country needs our honest, bipartisan judgment and our political courage. Your committee has been given a unique opportunity and authority to act. We are prepared to support you in this effort.
Sincerely,
Rep. Andrews (D-NJ)
Rep. Barrow (D-GA)
Rep. Bass (R-NH)
Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY)
Rep. Boren (D-OK)
Rep. Boswell (D-IA)
Rep. Cardoza (D-CA)
Rep. Carney (D-DE)
Rep. Carter (R-TX)
Rep. Castor (D-FL)
Rep. Chandler (D-KY)
Rep. Cleaver (D-MO)
Rep. Coble (R-NC)
Rep. Cole (R-OK)
Rep. Connolly (D-VA)
Rep. Cooper (D-TN)
Rep. Costa (D-CA)
Rep. Crenshaw (R-FL)
Rep. Cuellar (D-TX)
Rep. Davis (D-IL)
Rep. DeFazio (D-OR)
Rep. DeGette (D-CO)
Rep. Dent (R-PA)
Rep. Dicks (D-WA)
Rep. Dold (R-IL)
Rep. Duncan (R-TN)
Rep. Emerson (R-MO)
Rep. Fattah (D-PA)
Rep. Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Fortenberry (R-NE)
Rep. Garamendi (D-CA)
Rep. Gosar (R-AZ)
Rep. Grimm (R-NY)
Rep. Hanna (R-NY)
Rep. Harper (R-MS)
Rep. Higgins (D-NY)
Rep. Himes (D-CT)
Rep. Hoyer (D-MD)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
Rep. Kildee (D-MI)
Rep. Kind (D-WI)
Rep. King, Peter (R-NY)
Rep. Kingston (R-GA)
Rep. Larsen (D-WA)
Rep. Larson (D-CT)
Rep. LaTourette (R-OH)
Rep. Lipinski (D-IL)
Rep. Loebsack (D-IA)
Rep. Long (R-MO)
Rep. Lummis (R-WY)
Rep. Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Marino (R-PA)
Rep. Matheson (D-UT)
Rep. McIntyre (D-NC)
Rep. McKinley (R-WV)
Rep. Meehan (R-PA)
Rep. Meeks (D-NY)
Rep. Moran (D-VA)
Rep. Nunes (R-CA)
Rep. Owens (D-NY)
Rep. Pascrell (D-NJ)
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO)
Rep. Peters (D-MI)
Rep. Peterson (D-MN)
Rep. Petri (R-WI)
Rep. Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Platts (R-PA)
Rep. Polis (D-CO)
Rep. Price, David (D-NC)
Rep. Quigley (D-IL)
Rep. Rahall (D-WV)
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)
Rep. Ribble (R-WI)
Rep. Roe (R-TN)
Rep. Rooney (R-FL)
Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR)
Rep. Rothman (D-NJ)
Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Rep. Schiff (D-CA)
Rep. Schrader (D-OR)
Rep. Schwartz (D-PA)
Rep. Sewell (D-AL)
Rep. Shuler (D-NC)
Rep. Simpson (R-ID)
Rep Adam Smith (D-WA)
Rep. Stutzman (R-IN)
Rep. Sullivan (R-OK)
Rep. Terry (R-NE)
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Rep. Tsongas (D-MA)
Rep. Bob Turner (R-NY)
Rep. Visclosky (D-IN)
Rep. Walz (D-MN)
Rep. Watt (D-NC)
Rep. Welch (D-VT)
Rep. Whitfield (R-KY)
Rep. Wolf (R-VA)
Rep. Yarmuth (D-KY)
Rep. Young (R-AK)