Upton, Camp named to debt panel

Two Michigan lawmakers have been named to a powerful committee that will work on a plan to reduce the nation’s budget deficit.

Michigan Congressmen Dave Camp and Fred Upton -- both Republicans -- will be on the 12-member bipartisan panel charged with creating tax and spending policies.

The panel was created from a compromise reached by last week’s debt-ceiling legislation, and it has to come up with a plan by November 23.

Rep. Camp admits it’s a huge undertaking:

“It is a big job because we need to restore confidence in our economy and in the American people," Camp says. "And I think what we really need to do is have jobs be our No. 1 focus, and how can we best get this economy going and get people back to work.”

Camp says he believes if the panel takes a common-sense approach, it will be able to work together without the rancor that marked the debt-ceiling debates.