Fix the Debt Urges Budget Conferees to Confront Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Challenges

In Letter to Members of Budget Conference Committee, Campaign Urges Lawmakers to 'Seize this Opportunity'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Campaign to Fix the Debt sent an open letter to members of the Congressional conference committee over the budget, urging each of them to "stop the madness of repeated budget crises and start discussions about solving the real fiscal challenges facing our nation."

Co-signed by Campaign co-founders Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles of the eponymous Simpson-Bowles Fiscal Commission; co-chairs New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Senator Judd Gregg, and former Governor Ed Rendell; Campaign head Maya MacGuineas; and the entirety of the Fix the Debt steering committee, the letter asks conferees to "seize this opportunity to work together to find common ground on a comprehensive budget plan that addresses the debt and strengthens our economy."

Addressed to conference committee co-chairs Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Paul Ryan and each of the 29 conferees, the Campaign's letter expresses hope that the committee will pass a budget resolution conference report that puts the debt on a downward path relative to the economy, replaces some or all of the sequester's blunt cuts with better-targeted long-term reforms, and establishes a fast-track process by which tax reform and entitlement reform can succeed. Along with the open letter, the Campaign to Fix the Debt included a white paper that outlines options for constructing a comprehensive debt plan based on the principles. The white paper can be found here.

"The American public wants solutions which replace short term crises with long-term stability and certainty," the letter concludes. "We wish you luck and stand prepared to support you in any way we can as you begin the important work of negotiating a budget conference agreement." The full text of the letter can be found here.

For more information about the Campaign to Fix the Debt, please visit FixtheDebt.org.

SOURCE Campaign to Fix the Debt