My background in financial services and my experience as a state representative have given me the ability to identify our country's fiscal problems and find steps to remedy them.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
We have major fiscal problems on our hand.
When I came to Congress, I campaigned for fiscal responsibility. And the earmarking problem and crisis caused a great erosion in the public's confidence in Congress. We've got to find a way to do it without that. And I'm confident that we can.
What we should be doing is responsibly addressing the primary drivers of our debt and deficit issues.
We have to deal with two issues. Spending and taxes.
I want to hold government accountable and help create a more efficient and effective government.
A wide range of possible fiscal policy tools and approaches could enhance the cyclical stability of the economy. For example, steps could be taken to increase the effectiveness of the automatic stabilizers, and some economists have proposed that greater fiscal support could be usefully provided to state and local governments during recessions.
There is a very serious fiscal-policy question of, 'Are we running our overall fiscal policy such that we as a government can pay our bills?'
Fiscal responsibility and government reform are going to be good themes for governing, well at any time, but particularly coming out of a recovery.
This country, of course, needs fundamental reform of our financial regulatory system, as I, and many other financial institution executives, have publicly advocated for a considerable period.
I generally leave the details of fiscal programs to the Administration and Congress. That's really their area of authority and responsibility, and I don't think it's appropriate for me to second guess.