U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is joining a bipartisan group of lawmakers who support creating a special commission to try to tackle the growing national debt.
Golden participated in a press conference on Thursday led by the Republican chair of the House budget committee, where members discussed several bills pertaining to the federal debt. The highest-profile measure would create a bipartisan commission to recommend ways to reduce the nation’s estimated $34 trillion debt and balance the federal budget over time.
A second bill co-sponsored by Golden would require the president’s budget to include a ratio of national debt to the gross domestic product.
Golden is a moderate Democrat representing Maine’s increasingly conservative 2nd Congressional District. He said Republicans and Democrats must work together to find ways to keep the promises that Congress made regarding Social Security, Medicare and support for low-income families.
“Many say we need to cut, cut, cut no matter how much the cuts hurt. Others will say that we can achieve fiscal health simply by raising taxes. Courage dictates that we tell the truth. Cuts, savings or new revenue alone won’t get our fiscal house in order. We need a comprehensive approach.”
But some leading Democrats are already skeptical of the commission — Democrats like Senate Finance Committee chair Ron Wyden of Oregon, who called the bill a Republican scheme aimed at fast-tracking cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
All of this was happening on the same day that Congress was rushing to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
