Baron Hill 'Confident' On Budget Deal

A former U.S. Congressman from Indiana is joining a national effort to encourage current members to fix the country’s debt issue.

Baron Hill served for a decade, but lost in 2010 to Republican Todd Young.

Now, he is working with “The Campaign to Fix The National Debt” – a bipartisan effort with congressional and business leaders in every state.

He says addressing the issue as a Washington outsider gives a different perspective.

"The one thing that I feel along with everybody else is the frustration that we have with members of Congress," said Hill.  "When I was in Congress, I was one of those members.  When you take a step back and you are not in Congress any longer, you understand that 'hey, quit fooling around here.  We have to get something done.'"

Congress has until mid-December to come up with a budget deal.

Hill says he is confident members will take action, even if it is near the deadline.

"I think it is going to look like we are going to have entitlement reform.  Social Security and Medicare are going to get on a sound fiscal pathway," he said.  "I think tax reform is going to come about where maybe the corporate tax rate is going to be reduced along with tax equity and fairness.  I think those things are a real possibility."

Hill is meeting with Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) and Rep. Susan Brooks (R) in Washington this week to discuss what can be done to address the country’s debt problem.