During an appearance on C-Span’s “Newsmakers” program this morning, Majority Transition Chairman Greg Walden discussed the planning taking place to make Congress more transparent, cost-efficient, accountable, and, in the end, begin to restore trust between the American people and their government. Interviewed by the Associated Press’ Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Politico’s Jake Sherman, Chairman Walden also talked about the energy and enthusiasm that the new crop of GOP lawmakers will contribute to the transition and the ultimate mission of addressing the people’s priorities by implementing the Pledge to America, a new governing agenda focused on cutting spending and helping small businesses get back to creating jobs. 

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WALDEN: “OUR COUNTRY HAS NEVER NEED A DIFFERENT FOCUS MORE THAN IT DOES TODAY”:

“Our country has never needed a different focus more than it does today. We have this rare opportunity to get it right. We have this enormous freshmen influx who can help us break through some of these things and do the right thing for the institution of Congress. And maybe, if we’re really, really lucky, we’ll see…a little faith restored in the American people, between them and their government.”

WALDEN SAYS MISSION IS TO IMPLEMENT PLEDGE TO AMERICA, CUT SPENDING AND CREATE JOBS:

“Leader Boehner, presumptive Speaker, has made it clear he’ll run this House differently than it’s been run in the past…and open it up and make it more transparent and accountable so we can get on to the mission of implementing the Pledge [to America] – which is to get at wasteful Washington spending, to get...people back to work.”

WALDEN: TRANSITION TEAM LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING THE PUBLIC INTO THE PROCESS:

“We’re really looking at how you can modernize Congress, reform Congress, open up Congress, and make it more transparent and accountable so that the public’s business can be done in public – and the public can participate in that business.”