Pelosi Names Van Hollen, Draws Fuzzy Lines

Speaker hails "productive" bipartisan meeting, names Maryland Dem to represent House in ongoing gatherings about Bush tax cuts in Tuesday statement.

Pelosi Statement on Bipartisan White House Meeting

"Today, President Obama brought together the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate in the spirit of cooperation and seeking common ground. In a productive meeting, he offered a process for resolving the tax issue.

"The House Democrats' representative to those ongoing meetings will be Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. As the incoming Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, and a member of the Ways and Means Committee and Democratic leadership, Congressman Van Hollen brings expertise on how best to provide a tax cut for the middle class as well as a commitment to reduce the deficit.

"House Democrats have long supported extending the tax cuts for America's middle class in a way that is consistent with pay-as-you-go. Democrats continue to have concerns about the impact on the deficit of giving a tax cut to the nation's wealthiest 2 percent.

"We must evaluate every proposal as to how it creates jobs, grows our economy, and reduces the deficit.

"Unemployment insurance expires today and must be extended. It is essential for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and it also provides a major boost to the economy."

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