NCSL Urges Washington to Go Big

Earlier this week, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a letter to the President and leaders in Congress, urging them to "Go Big" and enact a bold, comprehensive fiscal plan to reduce our nation's debt and deficits. The letter stated that while the savings from the Budget Control Act were a start, a more comprehensive approach will be needed to ensure long-term fiscal stability. They pointed to the reports from the Fiscal Commission and the Domenici-Rivlin Debt Reduction Task Force as possible models for a bipartisan plan.

The letter urged President Obama to address our mounting debt in his upcoming FY 2013 budget, saying:

We strongly urge you, President Obama, to include in your FY 2013 proposed federal budget a comprehensive, aggressive and bold plan to address America’s long-term fiscal gap. We respectfully suggest that your plan last year that would have reduced the deficit by $4 trillion is a starting point.

We likewise urge Congressional leadership to pass a budget resolution that adheres to the "go big" principle. Putting America on a sustainable fiscal path is crucial. Many members of Congress have reached that conclusion in their own proposals, letters and statements. The private sector has also voiced similar sentiments. NCSL believes that the White House and Congress need to examine all possible avenues for deficit reduction, including discretionary spending, entitlement reform and revenue-related options. Both the budget proposal and budget resolution should include an explanation of the potential intergovernmental and fiscal federalism implications of any recommended actions.

As always, we are happy to see such a group urge leaders in Washington to embrace a bipartisan and comprehensive approach to debt and deficit reduction. The support of state lawmakers underscores how federal budget issues impact state and local budgets and that addressing deficits and debt is truly a cross-cutting issue.

Click here to read the full letter from NCSL, and click here to see more support for Go Big.