Statement from the Campaign to Fix the Debt on Conference Committee Budget Deal

The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "We are relieved that Chairman Ryan and Chairman Murray have negotiated a bipartisan agreement to set FY2014 and FY2015 spending levels and replace a portion of the mindless, temporary sequester cuts with more permanent reforms. This agreement is a vast improvement over the seemingly endless cycle of lurching from one crisis to the next.

"This deal demonstrates that Republicans and Democrats in Congress can work together on a proactive basis, rather than relying on 11^th hour deals and governing by crisis. All indications are that we will need to fix the system before we can fix the debt, and it is a small start that this agreement takes a responsible and bipartisan approach to dealing with policy trade-offs and paying for necessary changes instead of adding to the deficit.

"To be clear, this deal falls well short of what is needed to deal with the nation's fiscal challenges. It will have only a marginal impact on the debt and it does not tackle the difficult choices we will have to make. It does not address the growth of entitlement spending, provide for tax reform, or help target government spending away from consumption towards more productive investments. It does not even put in place any further steps to help deal with these challenges in a timely manner."

"Still, it is preferable to another round of punts, gimmicks, and showdowns. Lawmakers should pass this legislation with the understanding that it is a step forward not a victory.  There is more work to be done."

"We appreciate that Chairman Murray and Chairman Ryan have set an important example of bipartisanship in today's divided Washington and demonstrated a willingness to grapple with some of the thorny budgetary tradeoffs.  Lawmakers must now build on this progress and put their differences aside in order to work together on real solutions to confront the unsustainable growth of long-term debt."

SOURCE Campaign to Fix the Debt