Source: PRESS RELEASE, 11/2/11

Editor's Note:  The N.C. House members who signed the letter are listed at the end of letter.

 

Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC) and Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) are leading a 100-Member strong bipartisan effort to send a simple but important message to the Joint Select Committee on the Deficit Reduction, known as the Super Committee: Go Big. The 100 bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter today to the Super Committee with the simple and direct message that everything should be on the table and the goal should be closer to $4 trillion rather than the $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction required under the Budget Control Act.

“I am so proud of all of my colleagues who signed this letter for their courage to put country before political parties and do what is right for the fiscal future of our nation,” said Rep. Shuler (D-NC). “Many believed the House could never come together to provide the real solutions and leadership our nation needs to get on a fiscally sustainable path. We are here today to show that we can. I applaud Representative Simpson for his hard work and steadfast determination to make this bipartisan effort successful. He is a visionary leader and true statesman, and we need more people like him in Congress.”

“This letter is signed by conservative, moderate, and liberal members of the House, and while their political philosophies may differ, they all understand the urgency that our national debt crisis represents.  They understand that the Super Committee represents our best, and possibly only, chance to make the real reforms needed to return our country to fiscal health,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID). “I commend Representative Shuler for his tireless efforts to gather support for this letter. Heath understands that this is the time to act, and the respect he has among his colleagues and his ability to build consensus have made him a crucial partner in this important effort.”

The text and signatories of the letter follows:

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)