WASHINGTON —
Today, the Concord Coalition issued its
“Checklist for a Fiscally Responsible Budget Resolution.” This issue brief
describes attributes any budget resolution intent on combating the deficit
should have.
WASHINGTON —
Today, the Concord Coalition issued its
“Checklist for a Fiscally Responsible Budget Resolution.” This issue brief
describes attributes any budget resolution intent on combating the deficit
should have.
Congress begins the
fiscal year 2007 budget process with a familiar dilemma. The short-term deficit
is substantial, the long-term outlook is even worse, and the only realistic
options for dealing with the problem are spending cuts or tax increases that
politicians would like to avoid — particularly in an election year.
Given these circumstances, it would be all too easy for
Congress to adopt a budget resolution that simply ignores the looming fiscal
problems. Doing so, however, would be an abdication of responsibility. The
deeply ingrained mismatch between current spending and tax policies will not go
away if it is ignored. In fact, it will get worse. And while it is unreasonable
to expect that Congress will deal with this problem in a single budget
resolution, it is not unreasonable to expect Congress to adopt an honest budget
resolution that faces up to the challenge and takes at least some realistic
steps to deal with it.
“Aside from providing a short-term fiscal blueprint, the
budget resolution sets the tone for future actions,” stated Robert L. Bixby,
Executive Director of The Concord Coalition. “A budget resolution that pretends
there are no sacrifices to be made — that we can keep doing everything we’re
currently doing and promise to do in the future — would set a false tone of
fiscal security.”
The Concord Coalition is a nonpartisan, grass roots
organization dedicated to balanced federal budgets and generationally
responsible fiscal policy. Former U.S. Senators Warren Rudman (R-NH) and Bob
Kerrey (D-NE) serve as Concord’s co-chairs and former Secretary of Commerce
Peter Peterson serves as president.
Checklist:
http://www.concordcoalition.org/issues/fedbudget/issue-briefs/060314-budget-checklist.htm
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CONTACT:
Tristan Cohen
(703) 894-6222
communications@concordcoalition.org
