Bob Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, praised Conrad's decision to offer the Simpson-Bowles framework. "The easy course would have been simply to lay out one more partisan budget plan to argue over. Instead he is doing something more valuable," Bixby said.

"This ambitious deficit reduction plan would put the country on a more responsible course without jeopardizing the economic recovery. It puts everything on the table, dealing with defense, regular domestic spending, the entitlement programs and tax reform," he added.