Fix the Debt Hosts National Fly-In

This week Fix the Debt supporters from around the country visited Washington, DC to ask their representatives to work together and address the national debt. Members of Congress got the message that their constituents want them to act responsibly to achieve a comprehensive, bipartisan solution.

More than 60 citizen-leaders convened on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday where they met with Members of Congress and their staffs to advocate for action on the nation’s mounting and unsustainable debt. In total, Fix the Debt representatives had 73 meetings with House and Senate offices. Every participant brought a unique perspective on how the nation’s debt impacts him or her on a daily basis, and the meetings offered an opportunity to share these perspectives firsthand with lawmakers.

^{Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) (center) was one of the lawmakers to meet with Fix the Debt supporters}

Nineteen of the 23 state chapters were represented, featuring a diverse array of backgrounds, including former Members of Congress, small business owners, community activists, and students. Participants represented the hundreds of thousands of grassroots activists engaged in the issue on behalf of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. In addition to the Capitol Hill meetings, one group of Campaign members met with the White House Office of Public Engagement. The Campaign’s continued engagement and participation both at the national and local levels is keeping the message of fixing our debt prominent in the dialogue around fiscal reform.

^{Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) tweeted after her meeting with Fix the Debt}

The gathering comes at a critical time, as the White House and Senate Republicans continue their meetings to achieve a fiscal deal. In a statement, Fix the Debt’s Maya MacGuineas explained the event underscored the commitment to pushing for sensible action.

“It remains my goal and the goal of this campaign to carry this message on and let leaders in Washington know that rushed, stop-gap measures like sequestration are not the answer. The time for action is now.”

In conjunction with the event, over 5,000 supporters who could not attend were able to have their voices heard by sending letters to and calling their representatives. It’s not too late to take part. You can join in here.

This piece was originally posted on the Fix the Debt blog.