Citizens from across the country had a message yesterday for lawmakers: we are working together to solve our fiscal challenges, why can’t you?

At a Capitol Hill event, representatives from fiscal advisory councils in Atlanta, Northern California, Denver, Iowa, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Northern Virginia presented reports based on the deliberations of their respective citizen councils. The groups were organized by the Fiscal Stewardship Project of the Concord Coalition, with support from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Although the councils included citizens from diverse backgrounds, they were able to constructively work together and agree on some tough choices to place the U.S. budget on a sustainable path. Each council had its own focus; proposals from the various groups included ideas for reforming health care, taxes and spending, Social Security, Medicare, and partnership among federal, state and local governments to address the growing fiscal gap at all levels of government.

Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) provided remarks at the event. He discussed his legislation to create a SAFE Commission (Securing America’s Future Economy), a bipartisan panel that would develop recommendations to improve the nation’s fiscal situation. Congress would have to vote up or down on the commission’s recommendations.