By David Nix

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Focusing on non-partisan fiscal policies will
help the U.S. economy recover faster, reduce the debt load, and slow the
current rate of deficit growth, U.S. budget experts said Tuesday.

“The narrative so recently has been all about how the economy is
broken, the budget is broken, and Washington is broken … but there are
so many people across the country and members of Congress who want to
come together and work on this issue,” said Maya MacGuineas, president
of The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Her comments came at the ‘Campaign to Fix the Debt’, launched at
the National Press Club in Washington. It is a movement comprised of
members from various sectors of the U.S. economy, including business
leaders, former members of Congress, as well as Wall Street, and holds a
non-partisan stance in economic recovery.

“The Campaign will work in Washington, DC and around the country to
educate people on the need for a comprehensive plan to fix our long-term
debt and deficits,” it said in a statement.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, now co-chairman of the
Campaign to Fix the Debt, listed the core principles of the Campaign as
cutting costs from all parts of the budget, being bi-partisan, pushing
for multi-trillion dollars in debt reduction over the next 10 years, and
preserving economic growth while protecting the truly needy.

The speakers made clear this campaign is being formed to serve as a
resource for policymakers and to raise awareness among the American
people about the urgency of the current economic situation, especially
in light of the looming fiscal cliff.

They also stressed the unsustainability of the current rate of
economic growth compared to the size of the deficit.

The speakers said bringing together a bi-partisan group from
different sectors of the economy to provide policy suggestions and ideas
to U.S. authorities could help the country get on the path towards
fiscal sustainability and away from massive debt.

** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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