Van Hollen Statement on the CBO Budget and Economic Outlook

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the budget forecast released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO):

"Today's report underscores why President Obama and Democrats in Congress are so committed to boosting job growth. While we've made important progress, this report finds we are doing a better job generating economic growth than jobs. We need an economy where people who work hard are able to find a job and everyone benefits from the fruits of their labor. That means smart investments in education, infrastructure, and research and development. It also means a minimum wage that ensures that people who work full-time and year-round aren't living in poverty and that will lift wages for millions more.

"Putting Americans back to work will help millions of families and help our economy overall -- it's also the fastest and most effective way to reduce our deficit, which this report confirms we must still address over the long term. But instead of a focus on jobs, House Republicans only seem to be interested in partisan bickering and a one-note agenda that strips affordable health care from millions. And despite our efforts to pay for an extension of unemployment benefits for millions of people out of work through no fault of their own, the GOP continues to leave these Americans out in the cold."

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