In this April 13, 2011 file photo, House Budget Committee …

J. Scott Applewhite | published: April 19, 2011

In this April 13, 2011 file photo, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis. gestures during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Standard & Poor's Ratings Service downgraded its outlook Monday on the United States' sovereign debt, expressing unprecedented doubts over the ability of Washington to bring the massive federal budget deficits under control in the next three years. He is flanked by Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., left, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, right.