Sen. King & Budget Conference Committee Begin Work

Statement

The joint Senate and House Budget Conference Committee, of which U.S Senator Angus King (I-ME) is a member, held its first public meeting today to offer opening statements and chart a path towards a bipartisan budget agreement.

Following the meeting, Senator King released the following statement:

"This morning's meeting laid the foundation for a deal that could partially replace the sequester and avoid another painful and unnecessary government shutdown in January of 2014. While the scope of the potential deal may be limited, the importance of doing something is critical to rebuilding confidence within this institution. A deal that finds the right balance between new revenues from eliminating wasteful tax expenditures and savings from entitlements reforms could maintain the current downward trajectory of our deficits and would allow the nation to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The Committee has an important opportunity to work together to improve our nation's fiscal health, and I am hopeful that we will find common ground so that we can bridge the partisan divide to make real and substantial progress for the country."

Source