Debbie Wasserman Schultz: 'Shared Sacrifice Is Going To Be Necessary' (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Democratic party says voters understand that a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes will be needed to bring down the nation's debt.

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says "most Americans understand ... shared sacrifice is going to be necessary."

Wasserman Schultz told NBC's "Today" that it's "wrong" to ask seniors to pay more for Medicare while rich Americans are getting large tax breaks.

The long-term budget proposal Obama announced Wednesday includes cuts to Medicare and higher taxes for wealthier people. The rival GOP plan would transform Medicare into a voucher-like system while avoiding tax hikes.

Still, Wasserman Schultz said, Democrats "are ready for compromise."

Earlier this month, Obama nominated Wasserman Schultz to head the Democratic National Committee.

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Comments

[iLoveOldNY]

05:34 PM on 04/14/2011

So it will cost them a billion dollars to 'handle' their 'liberal problem'.

Got it.

[iLoveOldNY]

05:31 PM on 04/14/2011

Debbie is great. She's got my respect. So much better than Tim_Kaine.

But I'm a liberal. And I don't like her candidate.

[wvboy]

04:24 PM on 04/14/2011

The cause of the crisis was man made which includes politicians, the bankers and wallstreet, and regulators not doing their jobs. Too bad everyone else has to sacrifice. In fact, the ones who caused the mess are about the only ones who are not sacrificing. They all need to go.

[niceshoes60]

04:10 PM on 04/14/2011

I would like to know what the corporations, the banksters, Wall St, and the top 1% of earners have sacrificed??? They are make MORE money now than ever before, while our nation's employment is stuck in neutral and most of us are making less than we were 3 years ago. Yet we are the ones expected to sacrifice. WTF???

[one tequila two tequila]

04:07 PM on 04/14/2011

when she learns how to speak give her a call...

[Jebel]

03:53 PM on 04/14/2011

I will share the responsibility as soon as I see Congressmen doing the same.......so I guess I will just have to wait until hell freezes over!

[ebroadcast]

03:50 PM on 04/14/2011

And by shared, you mean everyone but the uber-rich, right? Cuz Rep. Orangina says it's a no-starter if we touch the elite's taxes.

[jwoww]

03:29 PM on 04/14/2011

she needs to get the marbles out of her mouth before she speaks

[VKoval]

03:25 PM on 04/14/2011

cant wait for u libs to lose in 2012

[ebroadcast]

03:52 PM on 04/14/2011

You mean to our first mormon president? Or better yet, to Trump? Keep on dreamin

[niceshoes60]

04:12 PM on 04/14/2011

Oh, yeah. And it will be better under conservatives??!? We are where we are because of the conservative march Reagan started back in his admin. and the conservatives just want to keep moving right. The U.S. is already an oligarchy. You want to turn it into a fascist state?

[annyp]

03:19 PM on 04/14/2011

As a Canadian, I applaud your President for a great speech. Our economies are so closely linked that whatever happens in your country affects us.

I am having a bit of problem with the Republicans ranting about tax increases and tying them to job loss. My understanding is that small business is lumped in with personal income tax rate. My question is why are these small business people not limited companies? I don't know your rules, so maybe someone could answer the question for me. Anyone with employees should be a limited company otherwise they setup to lose all their personal assets. I am sure any lawyer would setup that up for them. They would go under the Corporate Rate Taxes. I believe your Republicans are using small business as an excuse for not increasing taxes. I can't see a millionaire firing a maid, gardener, pool guy, etc. The way I see it, their justifcation is a red herring. Just my thoughts.

[LF Drew]

03:49 PM on 04/14/2011

No, you've got it pretty much exactly right.

The right wing here in the US commonly engage in rhetorical shell games where they put forward one reason which is not obviously disgusting to enact completely different agendas that would never stand on their own merit.

Except when they are stoking fear or bigotry to blind voters into voting as a block with them and against their own best interests -- then the more obviously disgusting, apparently the better...

You folks up north didn't deregulate your banks when we did, well done. The difference in the current state of our banking systems says it all.

[annyp]

04:25 PM on 04/14/2011

We have a business new network (BNN) and they were talking about the irony of the government shutting down over Planned Parenthood. We are wondering why they are taking away women's rights to abortion. Your politicans have brought religion in your politics. These guys are the first slamming the Middle East for doing the same thing. And what did the Grey Wolf population of Montana have to do with the budget? We laughed about that one. Do you realize how stupid these Repubs/Tea Party look to the rest of the world. Then on another note Michele Bachmann wants to be president. God help you guys.

[niceshoes60]

04:14 PM on 04/14/2011

The Republicans don't give an elephant's behind for small business. They continually use the rhetoric to scare people.

[annyp]

04:27 PM on 04/14/2011

Are people that stupid that they can't see it? No need for an answer.

[bryan broome]

03:06 PM on 04/14/2011

Every working American donate a months pay to pay off our debt.
Simple aint it?

[Measy23]

02:18 PM on 04/14/2011

She is right...now if we can only get the very rich to start sacrificing and sharing with the rest of us.

[wa-st-concerned]

01:23 PM on 04/14/2011

No, Debbie, the middle class and working class, seniors and disadvantaged HAVE ALREADY SACRIFICED !!!!

WHERE IS THE SACRIFICE "FROM THE TOP 2%"???? We have been giving them dollars since 2000 and they HAVE DONE NOTHING! ....while we get less for more sacrifice....

[Mistinguette Grandison]

05:13 PM on 04/14/2011

That's the reason she said that. It's their turn to make a sacrifice.

[KaAp]

01:21 PM on 04/14/2011

I do miss Howard Dean (as someone below stated). The working classes, the poor, the middle class and the upper middle class (the latter two classes used to be understood as the credit card classes) have compromised and carried the burden on their increasingly vulnerable and strained backs for years and years and years.
It is time for those who have precipitated the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the world to take some of the burden.
Compromise in this sense is already compromised ... Will the corporations now transformed by the magic touch of the SCOTUS now bear their fair share? How can you ask for shared sacrifice when people are hungry, the elderly will go without heating oil and a war is being waged on teachers, police, firefighters and other union members?

[LF Drew]

03:50 PM on 04/14/2011

Yeah, the continuous drumbeat of "shared sacrifice" gets pretty tiresome when all the actual sacrifice seems to come from one group exclusively.

[buc]

12:12 PM on 04/14/2011

You are a great person, but i'am not buying that...