WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Senate Budget Committee ranking member, today issued the following statement on the appointment of Keith Hall to be the Congressional Budget Office director.

“I look forward to working with Keith Hall in his new role as head of the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO staff has played a critical role in helping to write sound economic plans. The outgoing director, Doug Elmendorf, has done excellent work during the past four years.

“Based on Mr. Hall’s writings, it appears that we have very different views on a range of issues and he would not have been my first choice. His opposition to increasing the minimum wage and his resistance to sound strategies for eliminating poverty place him outside the mainstream. That said, I look forward to continuing the important, 40-year tradition of independent and objective budget analysis at the CBO and hope the office will play a valuable role as we continue to work toward policies that help create jobs and protect the middle class”