WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Murkowski today shared the podium with a bipartisan group of 35 U.S. Senators assembled to encourage the work of the 12-member “Super Committee” that has been tasked with reducing the nation’s debt – and share their thoughts about an even more aggressive path forward than originally envisioned.

The three dozen Senators laid out their beliefs that a deficit reduction plan should:

· Include enough deficit reduction to stabilize the debt as a share of the economy, put the debt on a downward path, and provide fiscal certainty – with a reasonable target being at least $4 trillion.

· Use the established, bipartisan debt and deficit reduction frameworks as a starting point for discussions.

· Focus on the major parts of the budget and include long-term entitlement reforms and pro-growth tax reform.

· Be structured to grow the economy in the short, medium and long-term.

· Work to include the American public and the business community in a broader discussion about the breadth of the issues, challenges and opportunities facing America.

Senator Murkowski then shared her message to the ‘Super Committee’ with Alaska, about Senators working together across party lines:

“We are here to really support and encourage the ‘Super Committee’ of 12. We want them to succeed; this nation needs them to succeed.

“But one of the requests from us is that they go big, they go bold, and they aim just a little bit higher that even what we have laid out in the Budget Control Act. Let’s get to a 4 trillion dollar reduction in savings. We can do that and in fact we must do that, not only for the future of our kids but what it means in the here and now as the markets are looking at the strength of our nation and our credibility.

“So what you saw today I think was a very genuine effort of members from across the country, across the political spectrum coming together and saying we can and we must resolve these issues and the only we will do it is by resolving them together.”

The 35 other Senators who convened to show support for the 12 members of the Super Committee were Senator Mark Begich along with Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Tom Carper (D-DE), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Dan Coats (R-IN), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MM), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mary Pryor (D-AR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Udall (D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR).