The top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Representative Van Hollen led the opposition to the 2012 Republican budget, drafted by budget chair Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, which passed the House without a single Democratic vote.
A rising star since his election to the House in 2002, Van Hollen ran the House Democratic campaign effort through two cycles, but was eased out of leadership after Democrat lost their majority in 2010.
He represented House Democrats in the Biden talks, where he maintained the caucus view that a debt-ceiling deal must be “fair and balanced” by including tax hikes as well as spending cuts, and that too many spending cuts in the short term could hurt the economic recovery. Opposition to cuts to entitlement programs in the Ryan budget, especially to Medicare, have emerged as a defining issue for Democrats in special elections and preparing for 2012 elections.
