WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), today called on the House of Representatives to work with the Senate on a comprehensive debt deal. In a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Klobuchar said the House and Senate need to come together and work through the budget process to get a debt deal done and cited growing bipartisan support from Republican Senators John McCain and Susan Collins for convening a conference committee. During a Joint Economic Committee hearing today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned of the negative impact cuts focused solely on the short-term can have on economic growth, and Klobuchar stressed the importance of focusing on a smart, balanced plan to reduce the deficit.

“People outside of Washington, including the people I talk to in Minnesota, want Democrats and Republicans to put politics aside for the good of the country and come together on a budget deal that reduces our deficit in a balanced way and also lays the foundation for sustained economic growth,” Klobuchar said.“We have a real opportunity to come together by working through this budget process and convening a conference committee to get a deal done.”

Klobuchar was one of 14 senators that fought for the creation of the bipartisan Debt Commission, and was also part of a bipartisan group of 45 senators who pushed for a balanced debt reduction plan in Congress.

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