October 29, 2011

Dear Senator Baucus,

On behalf of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, I want to thank you for your work on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, and the recent proposal you introduced into the discussions. Without having seen all the details, this appears to us to be a serious and credible proposal to reduce the deficit and help put the debt on a more sustainable path.

Chairman Kohl, Senator Corker, Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss changes for Medicare and the health care system. The fiscal challenges we face as a nation are immense, and the single largest cause in the long-term is growing health care costs, so this is a very important hearing and we thank you for holding it.

Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the important topic of improving the budget process. It is a privilege to appear before the Committee.

Chairman Bowles, Chairman Simpson, members of the Commission - thank you for all the work you are doing on this important challenge of reforming the nation’s budget to take us off of the unsustainable fiscal path. It is a difficult and at times I am sure, thankless, job. The problem with fiscal responsibility is that it is much less fun than fiscal irresponsibility.