WASHINGTON, May 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today issued the following statement on a Congressional Budget Office report that the federal deficit is expected to total $642 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30:

“It is very good news for our country that we are making progress on deficit reduction. President Obama inherited a $1.4 trillion deficit when President Bush left office more than four years ago. This year, the deficit is on track to be cut by more than half from what it was in January of 2009.”

“But in the midst of this success in combating the deficit, we cannot ignore the enormous economic problems facing working families. It is high time that we begin to focus on policy that creates millions of decent-paying jobs that our economy desperately needs. Real unemployment is 13.9 percent, youth unemployment is even higher, median income is declining and millions of families are struggling to live with dignity. We also must revisit some of the horrendous cuts that have recently been made to the elderly, children and the most vulnerable people in our country.

“Economists agree that the fastest and most productive way to create jobs is to rebuild roads and bridges and repair the rest of our crumbling infrastructure. We also can put millions of Americans to work transforming our energy system away from oil and coal by developing clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

“We have made success on deficit reduction. Now it is time to create jobs and protect working families.