Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of PIMCO, the world's biggest bond fund manager, on Thursday urged lawmakers to cut the massive federal deficit, but not so swiftly as to choke off the nascent economic recovery.
"Let's cut the deficit, but let's do it gradually" so that real economic growth can take hold, Gross (left) told Reuters in an interview after his testimony.
The news service notes lawmakers struck a deal on Wednesday that delays for two weeks a showdown over the current year's spending plan. Republicans are seeking some $61 billion of cuts to help reduce the deficit, estimated to hit $1.65 trillion this year, but Senate Democrats are preparing a measure that would keep funding essentially flat.
The first negotiations on the budget are expected to take place on Thursday, according to congressional aides. Wednesday's deal averted a government shutdown as funding for daily operations had been due to expire on Friday, March 4.
Gross, who oversees $1.2 trillion of assets at the Newport Beach, Calif.-based, investment management firm, said he does not expect a credible deficit reduction plan until after the 2012 elections, Reuters reports.
