The legislation builds on the progress already made by the institution of pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules in the House of Representatives, a measure Ross and the Blue Dog Coalition successfully fought to have included in the first 100 hours of the 110^th Congress.  Blue Dog leaders touted today’s accountability package as an essential tool needed for Congress to further address the nation’s long-term fiscal challenges.

“After six years of reckless fiscal practices and irresponsible deficit spending, the Blue Dogs are firmly committed to restoring the fiscal integrity of our nation,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications.  “In order to do that, we must reinstitute statutory pay-as-you-go rules and commit to balancing our budget, just as most American families do.  This Blue Dog endorsed legislation is a much needed next step to ensure that the Congress does just that.”

The first piece of legislation included in the “Blue Dog Fiscal Accountability Package” is the “Fiscal Honesty and Accountability Act,” which strengthens the commitment of the Congress to fiscal responsibility and accountability by reinstituting statutory PAYGO rules and implementing multi-year discretionary spending caps.  The bill would also close a loophole in the current law that has been used in recent years to add billions of dollars in routine spending by designating it “emergency” spending.

The second piece of legislation is the “Balanced Budget Amendment,” which would provide for a Constitutional Amendment requiring Congress to balance the federal budget every year.  The proposed legislation allows for flexibility during times of war, natural disaster or an economic downturn, by giving Congress the ability to waive the balanced budget requirement with a three-fifths vote in the House and Senate.  The bill also prohibits cuts in Social Security benefits from ever being used in order to balance the budget.

In order to provide for a more open and honest government, the third piece of legislation, the Blue Dog’s “Strengthening the Budget Process Resolution,” ensures that members of Congress have a sufficient amount of time to properly examine legislation to determine its actual cost implications.  In order to further ensure transparency in the process, this resolution also requires that a full Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate accompany any bill or conference report that comes to the House floor.

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 as a response to the Republican tidal wave that swept Democrats out of power.  Blue Dogs represent the center of the House of Representatives and appeal to the mainstream values of the American public.  The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.

Ross has been a member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition since he was first elected to represent Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District in Congress in 2000.  He currently serves as Co-Chair for Communications and is one of four elected leaders in the Blue Dog Coalition.

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