“Today we have begun to bring back fiscal sanity to our government through proposals that inject some much-needed common sense into the way Congress does business,” said Ross, Blue Dog Co-Chair.  “We heard the message the country sent Congress in November and that’s why passing PAYGO budget rules to stop any new deficit spending is a first step to getting our country back on track fiscally.”

Included in the House rules package are key principles of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition’s 12-point plan to end the nation’s addiction to deficit spending.  Specifically, the package requires pay-as-you-go budget discipline, known as “PAYGO,” with no new deficit spending.  The rules package also requires full transparency by ending the abuse of special interest earmarks. 

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.

The Blue Dog 12-point plan for budget reform includes 12 common sense measures aimed at putting the nation’s fiscal house back in order.  It is based on the Blue Dogs’ commitment to solving growing fiscal problems facing our country.    

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