Statement from Foundation Chairman Pete Peterson on New Simpson-Bowles Deficit-Reduction Framework
“Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles have again shown tremendous leadership in focusing the public’s attention on our nation’s serious long-term fiscal challenges and keeping all options on the table as they seek bipartisan solutions. Simpson and Bowles make clear that improving economic growth and addressing our long-term fiscal challenges is not an either-or proposition. We can and must do both. Simpson and Bowles are offering Washington a way beyond its current impasse with a new, comprehensive framework to strengthen the economy, reform the tax code, and fix the major drivers of long-term debt. Their ideas deserve serious consideration in Congress and at the White House.”
Further Reading
How Much Does the Government Spend on International Affairs?
Federal spending for international affairs, which supports American diplomacy and development aid, is a small portion of the U.S. budget.
Can We Raise the Retirement Age and Protect Vulnerable Workers?
Raising the retirement age could harm workers who would be unable to delay retirement due to physically demanding occupations, disability, or job loss.
A Brief History of U.S. Government Shutdowns
Government shutdowns (and the threat of them) are a recent phenomenon and something other developed countries don’t contend with.