Today, Mark Udall released the following statement about the “Gang of 6” plan to reduce the national debt by about $4 trillion. The group presented the proposal – based on the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson commission on reducing deficit reduction – to about 50 senators today, all of whom had previously expressed support for such an agreement. This afternoon, President Obama urged leaders to embrace the plan.“This is a really positive development after several weeks of bad news and partisan bickering, where it looked like we wouldn’t be able to do more than kick the can down the road. From the beginning, I’ve said that it is imperative that we work together on a plan to reduce our mounting debt while meeting our nation’s obligation to pay its bills. Now more than ever, Republicans and Democrats have to come together to find a balanced, bipartisan proposal that ensures our budget isn’t balanced solely on the backs of middle-class families.
“There’s no easy answer to reducing our debt and deficits, but this is the best plan to address our greatest national security challenge. I fought to create the Bowles-Simpson commission, and I’ve long held that its recommendations represent the kind of balanced proposal we need. We need to seize this opportunity, and each side needs to give. Even though I don’t agree with everything in this plan, I say, ‘Count me in.’ And I’ll do everything in my power to convince my colleagues to bring it to the floor for an up-or-down vote as soon as possible.”
