Bipartisan Policy Center Statement on the Final Session of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2010  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Charles Konigsberg, Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) Debt Reduction Task Force, regarding today's final session of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform:

"We are very pleased that a bipartisan majority of President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform expressed support today for a serious plan to significantly reduce federal deficits and debt, and we hope their vote helps to inspire the White House and Congress to enact a plan of their own at the earliest possible time.

"The 11 commission members, out of a total of 18, who publicly expressed support for the most recent plan from co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson have clearly demonstrated that a bipartisan group of leaders with diverse views on public policy can come together around a comprehensive plan. That six of those 11 members were members of Congress – three Democrats and three Republicans – is even more striking because it shows that elected officials can rise above the inevitable criticism that they will face for cutting popular programs and raising revenues in order to meet the urgent goal of reducing soaring deficits and unsustainable debt.

"Today's vote comes in the wake of last month's release by the Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force of a bold, bipartisan, and comprehensive plan to stimulate the economy with a payroll tax holiday, reduce the debt to below 60 percent of the economy, and balance the 'primary budget,' everything other than interest payments, by 2014 – all while dramatically simplifying the tax code, lowering personal and corporate tax rates, reining in health care costs, and strengthening Social Security so that it can pay benefits for the next 75 years and beyond. Taken together, the votes by the President's commission and the release of the BPC's consensus task force report show that, even on the politically difficult issue of reducing deficits and debt, bipartisan consensus is not only possible but increasingly viable. We are gratified by today's vote, and we will be encouraging bipartisan cooperation on this challenge by the White House and Congress in the weeks and months ahead."

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

In 2007, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. Currently, the BPC focuses on issues including health care, energy, national and homeland security, transportation, science and economic policy. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/.

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center

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