-House Minority Leader Pelosi Says Friday Talks Are Important Start
-‘This Shouldn’t Be Hard’ To Get Fiscal Agreement
By John Shaw
WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday
that talks between President Obama and congressional leaders which begin
Friday should lead to a sweeping deficit reduction agreement.
At a briefing, Pelosi said policymakers must find a way to avert
the fiscal cliff and put in place a major deficit reduction agreement.
Pelosi said there have been bipartisan budget agreements in the
past and “there is no reason we shouldn’t have one now.”
“We’re open to a Grand Bargain…with significant deficit
reduction,” Pelosi said.
“We have long supported a Grand Bargain,” she sdded.
Pelosi did not outline what an agreement should consist of beyond
saying it should include a “balance” between spending cuts and tax
increases.
She said Social Security should be dealt with separately and added
that Democrats would not support entitlement reforms that are used to
fund additional tax cuts for the wealthy.
“We want the top 2% to pay their fair share,” she said.
Pelosi said the two parties should enter the talks in a hopeful
spirit.
“Now we have an opportunity. This is opportunity time,” she said.
** MNI Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **
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