WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer was joined by several members of the Blue Dog Coalition at a press conference this morning to unveil a new web video illustrating Republican hypocrisy on fiscal responsibility and what Democrats are doing to address the issue.  Rep. Dennis Moore (KS-03), Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Rep. Nick Lampson (TX-22), Rep. Chris Carney (PA-10), Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20), and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08) spoke about Democratic efforts to restore fiscal responsibility to government.

Click here to view the video.

"I believe that, next to defeating terrorism, there is no greater threat to our nation's future than the grave and gathering fiscal crisis that confronts us," said Leader Hoyer.  "Over the last seven months, Democrats have begun to restore fiscal responsibility and sound the alarm on the fiscal tsunami that threatens to drown our nation in the not-too-distant future if we fail to act."

As one of their first acts in the majority, House Democrats restored pay-as-you-go budget rules that created record surpluses in the 1990s in order to put this nation back on a sustainable fiscal path.  The Democratic-led Congress also passed a budget plan that will bring our budget back to balance by 2012.

"The Blue Dogs have been the leading the fight in Congress to restore fiscal responsibility and accountability to our government, and continue to do so," Moore said.  "After six years of Republican fiscal irresponsibility that resulted in $3 trillion in new debt, the new Democratic majority, led by the Blue Dogs, have restored fiscally responsible PAYGO rules and passed a budget that would balance by 2012.   We look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to finally put our government's finances back in order."

"I was pleased that during the first few days of this new Congress we reinstated PAYGO," Hill said.  "I look forward to working with the leadership to make the PAYGO rules law.  My constituents have to live within a budget, and so should Congress."

"We all know that fiscal responsibility and good government practices are the smartest ways to save taxpayer dollars, money that families can use for their children's education, paying for a home, starting small businesses, and accumulating savings for their loved ones," Lampson said.

"I came to Congress to be a fiscal conservative," Carney said.  "Both Majority Leader Hoyer and the Blue Dogs have shown me that they 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. Fiscal responsibility is more than just cutting the budget - it's spending money wisely to invest in the future."

"The need for financial restraint could not be clearer: Our national debt is approaching $9 trillion, equivalent to $29,000 for every man, woman and child," said Gillibrand.  "Over the past six years, Congress' spending habits have jeopardized our country's fiscal situation, by allowing the national debt to increase by more than 60 percent. New York families must continuously balance their checkbooks. Forty-nine states, including New York, require a balanced budget. An amendment to the Constitution will finally hold the federal government to the same, common sense standard."

Leader Hoyer presented the video, noting that it "documents the sea of red ink that has flooded our fiscal house over the last six years due to the Republican Party's irresponsible policies."

Click here to view the video.

###