Statements on News Reports on White House and Congress Discussions
Statement by Peter G. Peterson:
“I have long supported the creation of a statutory bipartisan commission that has the capability to make fiscal recommendations that are guaranteed to be voted on in Congress.”
“I urge Congress to strongly consider a bipartisan fiscal commission to put America’s fiscal house in order. If Congress fails to act now to create such a commission by law, then the President should do so by Executive Order and lawmakers should ensure that its recommendations will be voted on. Doing nothing is simply unacceptable.”
“In addition, it would add to the credibility of such a commission if the President would announce specific proposals to reduce the deficit in his next budget.”
Statement by David M. Walker:
“The American people have become increasingly concerned with escalating deficits and debt burdens. The regular legislative process in Washington is broken, and a special commission is needed to help put the federal government’s finances in order.”
“It is clearly preferable for the Congress to pass legislation that establishes a credible fiscal commission that will be guaranteed a vote on its recommendations. However, if Congress won’t act on its own, the President should do so by Executive Order. The time for action has come.”
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PGPF is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key economic challenges threatening America’s future and to accelerating action on them. To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. For more information, see www.PGPF.org.
Further Reading
7 Charts That Illustrate America’s Growing Fiscal Stress
America’s fiscal situation is daunting, with key budgetary warning signs and hurdles approaching in the near term.
86 Ways to Reform the Tax Code — and Why It’s Only Half the Solution
Tax policy is about trade-offs between how much revenue a tax will raise, who will bear the burden, and how a change will impact economic incentives.
Fed Raises Rates for First Time Since 2023 as Interest Costs Top $1 Trillion
High interest rates on U.S. Treasury securities increase the federal government’s borrowing costs.