For Immediate Release                                                            Contact: Kristen Hawn (202) 226-9782
February 26, 2009                                        

Blue Dog Leaders Applaud President Obama's Commitment to Honesty, Transparency in FY 2010 Budget

Washington, DC – Leaders of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition applauded President Obama’s commitment to honesty and transparency in his budget for Fiscal Year 2010, which was delivered to Capitol Hill today.  The Blue Dogs, who remain committed to deficit reduction, have been leaders in Congress on budget and fiscal matters for 15 years.  Blue Dogs have repeatedly called on Congress and the Administration to reinstitute statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements, put predictable costs on budget and set aside a “rainy day fund” for national emergencies, all of which President Obama accomplishes in his budget blueprint.

“We can’t begin to map out where we want to go if we are not honest with ourselves – and with the American people – about where we are today,” said Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications.  “The fact of the matter is that we have been left with a massive national debt, an economy in shambles and a federal government that is devoid of fiscal discipline. It will take time to put our country back on a fiscally sustainable path, but using this budget as a starting point, we can get there.”

On January 15th of this year, Blue Dog members sent a letter to President Obama urging the Administration to include funds to cover expected costs for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan within the fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Department of Defense.  By putting these costs on budget, President Obama has taken an essential step toward restoring honesty, transparency and accountability to federal spending.

"The budget presented by the President represents a significant step forward in honest budgeting,” said Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration.  “In order to begin to set our nation back on the right fiscal track, we must first understand and acknowledge how big of a hole we are in.  This budget is a good starting point and moving forward, Blue Dogs will continue to insist on paying for what we spend and making tough decisions to cut the deficit and shore-up our staggering nation debt.”

“President Obama’s budget is a refreshing return to a decisively more honest and transparent process,” said Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy.  “The Blue Dogs are particularly pleased by the Administration’s effort to go through the budget line-by-line to weed out wasteful spending, and the repeated commitment to enacting statutory PAYGO.”

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing 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.  Currently there are 49 members of the Blue Dog Coalition.  For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/.