Washington, D.C. -— Rep. Bob Etheridge announced Friday that he will co-chair a working group of moderate Democrats in the House of Representatives to promote responsible budgets to reduce the deficit and deal with the national debt.
“As a former North Carolina small businessman, I know the importance of keeping your books balanced and your budget in order,” Etheridge said. “During my first term in the U.S. House, I reached across the partisan aisle to pass a common sense solution to replace deficits with surpluses, and we should follow that example now.”
After eight years of misplaced priorities and mismanagement from Washington, D.C., budget deficits have soared and the national debt is accumulating at an unsustainable pace. The New Dem Budget Discipline Working Group is tasked with identifying solutions to reverse the current budget trend. The Working Group will develop creative solutions to reduce the deficit and national debt while also identifying opportunities to streamline existing Federal programs to ensure taxpayer dollars are being invested wisely and effectively.
Etheridge has been a charter member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition since 1997. The Budget Discipline Working Group will be made up of 17 fellow “New Dem” members and will be co-chaired by Etheridge and Bill Foster (IL-14), a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
“As a longtime advocate for responsible budgeting, Representative Etheridge brings vast experience and knowledge to his new role as a leader of the New Dem Budget Discipline Working Group,” said Congressman Joseph Crowley (NY-7), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition. “I look forward to working with Bob and his colleagues in the Working Group to identify creative solutions to rein in federal spending and balance the federal government’s checkbook.”
“I look forward to working with this group of moderates to put discipline back in the budget and begin to put in place sound policies that will produce an economy that works for middle class families,” Etheridge concluded.