. >> host: why was alice rivlin so important in the early days? >> guest: she was important because she had a clear vision for what she wanted the agency to do. and she set out to make the organization in that image and she was pretty stubborn about it in the sense that she had a vision. she was sometimes pushed by members of congress to move in a different direction and she was pretty clear about the direction that she wanted to go in. once she did that, she began to create a culture in the organization and that is one of the most interesting parts to me of the story of cbo. if it takes something, not only the fact that it was an agency that was supposed to be non-partisan in the middle of a very partisan environment but also the fact that you have this organization that is starting from scratch. if you don't have a model necessarily to go from all you have been told is the new director of cbo created an organization to make it responsive to congress and non-partisan manner. in the first place you have to figure out what that means. to talk about

. >>> here to make sense of some big economic figures, alice rivlin from the clinton administration,las holtz aiken who was on george w.'s panel. i'm completely confused by this week because friday it's like the best, you know, unemployment figures we've seen in three years. the dow industrials go crazy. and the cbo earlier in the week said, you know, the debt outlook is horrible. the deficit's horrible. and by the way, unemployment's going back up. so are we happy or are we worried? >> i think it was basically a good-newsweek. the unemployment figures and the new jobs in the friday report were good news. they aren't definitive. it was one month, but it was a good strong month and indication that the economy is taking hold. if it lasts, we'll have what the best thing that anybody is able to predict is a good slow recovery with gradual reduction in the unemployment rate from what is admittedly a very high level. >> but, you know, the cbo said 9.3 or something next year which i think is craziness. >> remember, the cbo, its job is to define the dark cloud for every silver lining. it did

it continues with the work done by alice rivlin and pete domenici. it includes the work that i've recently done with senator ron widen from oregon to put a bipartisan option for saving an strengthening medicare. fundamental tax reform also has a bipartisan history. in the 1986, i was in high school at the time, i read the book, we did fundamental tax reform that lowered tax rates and broadened the base. the sponsors of that bill, dick gephardt and bill bradley. i would argue this is not necessarily a left versus right issue. this is about those who are willing to tell the people the truth about our nation's fiscal challenges and those who continue to duck from those challenges. this budget takes the latter approach. it represents a very clear threat to the health and retirement security for american seniors. it threatens our government we haver higher taxes and commits our children and grandchildren to a deminute fished future. i don't know how you conclude otherwise. second geithner, you probably be the first to acknowledge that having no plan is a

and former white house budget director alice rivlin and senate budget chairman pete domenici recently said while his budget stabilizes debt over the next decade, this is speaking about the president's budget, the real problem arrives there after as entitlement costs spiral out of control and revenues are inadequate to deal with a wave of retiring babyboomers. so you said before the congress needs to act now to put our fiscal house in order. so would you agree that in order to do that congress must address the unsustainability and impending insolvency of medicare and social security? >> i noted earlier that the current budgeting procedures focus on the next ten years. many of the most serious problems occur after ten years. and they include -- they do include entitlements and as one major category of spending. so i do urge congress and thinking about this not to be artificially constrained by the window but thinking even longer term because the longer in advance you can make changes, the more time there will be for people to adjust to them and the easier it will be politically. >> i do

we will hear two former members of congress -- alex -- alice rivlin.d by the committee part responsible to federal budget, this is 90 minutes. >> good morning, everybody. thank you for joining us. i am really pleased to be reintroducing power project "u.s. budget watch." the purpose of this project is clearly to focus on the important fiscal impact of campaign promises that the campaign unfolds. last time around, it was a big success. it was heralded by cnn at the most detailed analysis of both mccain'satobama's budget plans. -- mccain's and obama's budget plans. we want to look at all the campaign promises made throughout the campaign to a nonpartisan plans and lookit the bottom line -- how they affect the deficit and debt. today we are unveiling our first major policy report of this campaign -- primary numbers, the gop candidate and the national debt i should really clarified because it is so important -- non-partisan. our board of directors, many of that -- many of whom are here today, where the leading budget experts in the country. they have led c

a democrat, former congressional budget office director, alice rivlin, under the clinton administration, i quote, sin the class program is a new unfunded entitlement it should be repealed because it will increase the deficit over the long term, end quote. in fact, the president's own deficit commission agrees our grandchildren cyrimly cannot afford a new budget-busting entitlement. we can do better than this, madam chair, and we can work together to solve this problem, and i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the -- support this class repeal, support h.r. 1173 and beyond this we'll have the impetus to actually do some real work to create a real program that works for the american people. we can make it easier for disabled americans to save for future needs, expand access to affordable private health care coverage and better educate americans on the need for retirement planning. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. farr: thank you, madam chair. i want to point out the last tim

former white house budget director as li director alice rivlin and pete dough minute chi said while the, speaking about the president's budget, the problem arrives thereafter as entitlement costs spiral out of control and revenues inadequate to deal with a wave of retiring baby boomers. you said before that congress needs to act now, to put our fiscal house in order. would you agree that, in order to do that, congress must agres the unsustainibility of social security? >> i noted earlier that the current budgeting procedures focus on the next ten years. but many of them, the most serious problems occur after ten years and they include entitlements, as one major category of spending. so i do urge congress and thinking about this not to be artificially constrained by the ten-year budgeting window but think longer term because the longer in advance you can make changes the more time for people to adjust and easier politica y politically. >> i don't mean to be putting words in your mouth, but your answer is yes, we need to address that? >> particularly the health care side, costs are very h

a democrat, former congressional budget office director, alice rivlin, under the clinton administration, i quote, sin the class program is a new unfunded entitlement it should be repealed because it will increase the deficit over the long term, end quote. in fact, the president's own deficit commission agrees our grandchildren cyrimly cannot afford a new budget-busting entitlement. we can do better than this, madam chair, and we can work together to solve this problem, and i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the -- support this class repeal, support h.r. 1173 and beyond this we'll have the impetus to actually do some real work to create a real program that works for the american people. we can make it easier for disabled americans to save for future needs, expand access to affordable private health care coverage and better educate americans on the need for retirement planning. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. farr: thank you, madam chair. i want to point out the last tim

of course, there is alice rivlin who has had a congressional budget office and the office of management and budget and vice- chair of the federal reserve. we are thrilled to have them involved in the committee. and to have been with us today to lead as a discussion about the fiscal issues in this report but more broadly, how during campaign season we talk about fiscal policy and how specific this critical campaign is. we think the issues of fiscal policy will unfold and what nafta after, everything is open. i look for to their comments and we will have a rich discussion the bank of joining us today. alice, would you pick us up, please? >> sure. my views are mine only and not those of any of the organizations with which i am associated including this one. the committee for responsible federal budget has done a really signal service to the press, the public, and to the candidates. the proposals at this stage of any campaign are understandably not totally spelled out. if you cannot imagine how hard analysts have to work to figure out what these proposals actually are and how they would imp