The Concord Coalition has announced two new co-chairs who have long been known for their work to promote greater fiscal responsibility: former U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey and Jack Danforth.
Danforth, a Missouri Republican, and Kerrey, a Democrat who represented Nebraska in the Senate, are joining current Concord co-chairs and former Representatives Mike Castle (R-Del.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.) in leading the non-partisan organization.
The names Kerrey and Danforth became synonymous with federal budget reform after the two men led a 1994 bipartisan presidential commission in warning the country it was on an unsustainable fiscal path that jeopardized its future growth and prosperity.
In late 2014 the two former senators released an update to their commission’s report and called on political leaders to quickly address the nation’s continuing challenges, including an aging population, rising health care costs and an inefficient tax system.
Kerrey and Danforth say they look forward to putting a renewed focus on these concerns.
“The bipartisan findings from our commission remain valid as a roadmap for addressing the issues that must be confronted and serve as testimony to how little progress has been made over the past two decades,” Danforth said.
Kerrey noted that “the passage of time and the accumulation of additional obligations have placed the government in an even more difficult position to address these challenges. So we have no time to lose in pursuing broad budget reform.”
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Danforth Biographical Information
Kerrey Biographical Information
