Politicians like to talk about good news, including benefits from government programs. But former U.S. senators Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) note that politicians “are far less interested in talking about the bad news and hard choices on the horizon as the federal debt continues on an unsustainable upward path.”
In a guest column today in Roll Call, Gregg and Bayh point out that the country’s aging population, rising health care costs and deeply flawed tax system are putting more and more pressure on the federal budget.
“Only by acknowledging difficult budget realities can we hope to chart a better course that promises fiscal stability, a stronger economy and a brighter future for the country,” they write.
That’s why The Concord Coalition and the Campaign to Fix the Debt have come together to raise these concerns during the 2016 presidential campaign under the nonpartisan label of “First Budget.” Under this initiative, the former senators explain, citizen activists will engage candidates in an effort to ensure that the next president comes into office with a budget plan “that reflects the reality of the situation.”
Gregg and Bayh are both on Concord’s Board of Directors, and Gregg is also a Fix the Debt co-chair.
External links:
First Budget Website
