Diverse Voices Find Common Ground to Fix the Debt

100 Leaders from Across Political Spectrum Hold Summit on the National Debt, Find Unexpected Level of Agreement

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Earlier this month a group of nearly 100 leaders representing 72 organizations from a broad cross section of interests and political affiliations met in Washington, D.C. to discuss their shared interest in seeing the U.S. debt addressed.

Dubbed the "Common Ground Summit," and organized by the Campaign to Fix the Debt, the unprecedented meeting of such a wide range of interests found a surprising level of agreement on the issue of debt and deficits.

"Whenever groups who normally sit on opposite sides of issues gather in one place and find consensus, we all ought to stand up and take notice," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt.

Groups such as American Enterprise Institute, American Values Network, Catholic Charities, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce gathered at the February 6th meeting held on Capitol Hill.

Through a moderated discussion and real-time polling of the themes that emerged, the group identified several statements with high levels of support among summit participants.

 Some of the statements that received "Super-Majority" (74%+) support from Common Ground attendees included the following:

• We cannot cut spending in a way that undermines the economy and the recovery. (100% support)
• The longer we delay addressing the debt, the bigger the problem becomes. (95%)
• We must protect long term investments that promote economic growth (jobs, human capital, infrastructure), even as we tackle the debt. (94%)
• A debt deal should ensure that everything is on the table—balancing solutions between revenues and spending. (84%)

The Campaign to Fix the Debt believes that a viable deal should be based off a framework that leaves all debt-reduction options on the table and raises revenues, cuts wasteful spending, and ensures the long-term sustainability of important social programs.

For more information on the Campaign to Fix the Debt please visit www.fixthedebt.org.

SOURCE Campaign to Fix the Debt

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