WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) has been awarded the Deficit Hawk Award from the Concord Coalition for his fiscally responsible voting record during the 103rd Congress.
The Concord Coalition is a bipartisan, grassroots organization, founded by former Senators Warren Rudman and Paul Tsongas, that is dedicated to educating Americans about the dangers of the federal budget deficit. Former Congressman Tim Penny is a member of The Concord Coalition's Board of Directors.
"The Concord Coalition's focus is to educate citizens about the impact of the budget deficit on this nation's long-term economic future," Peterson said. "To receive this award from a group that has shown so much dedication to its cause is indeed an honor."
Peterson scored in the 83rd percentile on The Concord Coalition's 1994 Deficit Reduction Scorecard, earning him a spot on the Coalition's Honor Roll. Out of the entire House, Peterson's ranking was the 14th highest.
"All of us get opposing messages from the voters; don't raise taxes, don't take away any benefits or cut programs that send money to our town -- yet, reduce the deficit. Deficit reduction must be achieved and that means there will be times when difficult cuts need to be made. Even though the job can sometimes be difficult in that regard, I enjoy doing it for my constituents and I believe in what I'm doing."