Former Congressmen Tim Penny (D-Minn.) and Mike Castle (R-Del.) spoke Thursday on Capitol Hill about the need for bipartisan cooperation to pass fiscally responsible legislation in an era of divided government.
“Leaders at every level need to set the standard of fiscal responsibility and hold their extremes to that standard,” said Penny, who is a member of The Concord Coalition’s Board of Directors.
Penny and Castle spoke at a briefing on the budget process that more than 50 House and Senate aides attended. It was part of Concord’s “Lookout” series of informational sessions for congressional staff and lawmakers on the government’s fiscal challenges.
“The budget process should be a more open, inclusive process,” said Castle, who is one of Concord’s co-chairs. He added that the budget process needs to better take into account the rise in “mandatory” spending, which includes the big federal entitlement programs.
Penny and Castle encouraged their listeners to make the case for fiscal responsibility inside and outside the halls of Congress.
“We need to take the questions raised here and make fiscal reform a part of the presidential debate,” Castle said.
External links:
A New Budget Deal Is Needed (Concord)
