Bipartisan Fiscal Forum Leaders Letter Calls to Address Debt

Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries:

As we engage in the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, it should remind all of us that a strong fiscal foundation is necessary to meet our nation’s goals as well as address future emergencies as they arise. The more our debt grows, the more difficult it will be to respond.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act was a step forward and slowed the debt growth trajectory. But our fiscal position remains unsustainable. Our debt is growing faster than the economy, interest payments will surpass defense this year, and critical trust funds for Social Security, highways, and Medicare are all headed towards insolvency. This problem was not just years, but decades, in the making, and we must change course.

While we may disagree on how exactly to fix the debt, we all agree that fiscal flexibility to respond to crises when they arise is a national priority and vital to our security. So, we urge you to continue working to find bipartisan ways to reduce our national debt

The United States must remain the leading economy and a leader on the world stage. We cannot do so from a position of fiscal weakness. We need resilience and flexibility to engage both threats and opportunities as they arise. We look forward to working with you on these important objectives.

Sincerely,

Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) 
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) 
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) 
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) 
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) 
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) 
Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) 
Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) 
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) 
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) 
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) 
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) 
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) 
Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) 
Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL) 
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) 
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) 
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) 
Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) 
Rep. Rudy Yakym III (R-IN)