05.13.11

Hoeven Statement on Thursday's Meeting with President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement today following a meeting Thursday at the White House with President Barack Obama and Republican members of the U.S. Senate to discuss the nation’s fiscal challenges: 

“Candid dialogue is an important component in the effort to address our nation’s fiscal challenges, and in that context Thursday’s meeting with President Obama was both frank and useful. I conveyed to the President my belief that the pending debt ceiling vote represents a real opportunity to address pressing national issues, like a plan for economic growth, entitlement reform and the need to reduce our debt and deficit. 

“I told the President further that I believe the bipartisan working group led by Vice President Biden affords a good prospect for Republicans and Democrats to come out together on behalf of the American people and actually get something accomplished without prompting partisan jockeying and divisive attacks from both sides. I think those thoughts were well received by the President, and I am committed to proceeding on those lines as the U.S. Senate takes up the work of addressing the debt ceiling and the 2012 budget.”