Support for the Campaign to Fix the Debt

With the roll out of the Campaign to Fix the Debt on Tuesday, there has been plenty of statements of support, as our newest release shows. Some of these statments have come from the co-founders, co-chairs, and Steering Committee members of the Campaign, but there are also plenty of supporters outside the campaign.

The Campaign hopes to gain a groundswell of support for a bipartisan deficit reduction plan. All too often, the voices of partisans and interest groups drown out the ability to work towards a constructive proposal for fixing the debt. Here are some of the voices in support of that plan:

• Judd Gregg, Co-chair of the Campaign to Fix the Debt: "Without significant, fundamental and comprehensive reforms, the debt will reach 90 percent of the economy within 10 years and exceed 250 percent by the early 2040s. These crippling levels of debt threaten the strength of our economy, our standard of living, and the prosperity of future generations."
• Ed Rendell, Co-chair of the Campaign to Fix the Debt: "We simply cannot afford all the promises we've made, but, if we do this right, we can make reforms in a way that protects the most vulnerable, prioritizes important investments in areas like infrastructure and education, and enhances economic growth."
• Martin Flanagan, President and CEO, Invesco: "The American people know there’s a problem, and they know there are no easy answers. They’re ready for solutions and ready for their elected officials to put aside partisanship and get a debt deal done."
• Robert Zoellick, former World Bank president: "Australia's Foreign Minister Bob Carr hit the nail on the head when he said 'The U.S. is one budget deal away from restoring its global pre-eminence.' A slow growth economy can't lead the world. The United States needs to get its financial house in order to play its rightful role in an international economy facing multiple dangers."
• Ryan Schoenike and Nick Troiano, Co-founders of The Can Kicks Back: "The choice we face is not one between parties but between action that will restore prosperity and the status quo that will lead to national decline. We expect our leaders to not just talk about their children and grandchildren but to work together to enact a long-term and comprehensive solution to the nation’s fiscal crisis."
• Alice Rivlin, former OMB and CBO director: "We face two fiscal challenges -- growing the economy faster and reducing the looming debt. The threat of a serious and devastating debt crisis in the U.S. is real, and can be ignored no longer. Failure to act would be devastating, but, if we get it right, we have a huge opportunity to restore America's economic vitality."

In addition, there was significant media coverage of the Campaign launch, which you can see listed here. Major media outlets such as CNN, C-SPAN, and CNBC covered the event. Numerous TV segments, such as on CNBC's "Squawk Box," PBS's "Newshour", and Bloomberg TV, broadcasted segements on the launch or interviewed participants. In addition, news articles from major sources like CNN, the Washington Post, and ABC News were written across the country.

We hope that the Campaign to Fix the Debt will be successful in drumming up support for the fiscal plan our country needs. As Campaign co-founder Al Simpson said:

The voters are way ahead of their elected representatives in realizing we need to honestly ‘do something’ about this problem and that fixing it will require that everyone accept some sacrifices in the things they may like for the good of the country they love. The American public is thirsting for the truth and bold leadership from their elected representatives. This campaign will greatly help to ensure that their voices are finally really being heard – plenty loud and clear – where it counts – in Congress and Washington, D.C.