Alice Rivlin

“The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.”

“The purpose of economics is to make the world a better place.”

“We have to get back to the assumption that you can't have everything you want.”

“Monetary policy is not a panacea.”

“You have to be a bit of an optimist to be in the budget business.”

“The principal mission of the CBO is to provide the Congress with the objective, nonpartisan, and timely analyses needed for economic and budgetary decisions.”

“I think evidence-based policymaking is the only kind of policymaking that's worth doing.”

“Bipartisanship is not about abandoning your principles. It's about finding common ground to solve common problems.”

“We face a choice between a future of ever-rising debt, slow growth, and painful austerity, or a future of fiscal responsibility, strong growth, and shared prosperity.”

“The single most important thing we can do for our long-run living standards is to increase our rate of investment in education, infrastructure, and technology.”

“A healthy economy requires both a vibrant private sector and a competent, effective public sector.”

“The challenge is to make government work better, not to get rid of it.”

“Social Security and Medicare are promises we've made to our seniors, and we have to keep them.”