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Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump urged by 'fiscal responsibility' group to show he's 'serious' about $36T debt
EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of President Donald Trump's congressional address on Tuesday night, the Concord Coalition launched their new "fiscal responsibility" advocacy group, Concord Action, designed to pressure Congress to tackle America's $36 trillion debt crisis. Former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-GA, the new executive director and president, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital urged Trump to show he is serious about tackling America's debt crisis. "I'd like to hear that he's really serious about putting everything on the table and putting together an effort that reaches out," Bourdeaux said. "He really needs to reach across the aisle. We know that to get the budget done, just on an annual basis, it does require Democrats to be involved. This needs to be a bipartisan effort." Bourdeaux, a Democrat who worked with Republicans during the Great Recession to balance Georgia's state budget, said Trump needs to lead a "bipartisan effort" that goes "line by line" through the nation's spending. Theme Of Trump's Address To Congress Revealed Scoop: Speaker Johnson Reveals Guest List For Trump's Big Speech Tuesday Read On The Fox News App "It needs to be a thoughtful effort," Bourdeaux added. "It does need to tackle the waste, fraud and abuse, but anyone who is serious about balancing the budget knows that is not enough. We really have to go line by line through all the different programs that we do, including the mandatory spending, and look at places where we can find savings and efficiencies. And we also have to put the tax side on the table as well." The economy was the top issue for American voters in 2024, as four in 20 voters said inflation was the most important factor in their vote, according to 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis. Voters reported a negative view of the economy, with almost two-thirds rating the economy as not good, 40%, or downright poor, 24%. TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS "I know people approach this with a sense of despair, but it can be done. Back in the 1990s, I was actually a congressional staffer at the time. We did balance the budget. We did get together. It was done on a bipartisan basis. You know, Clinton was the president, but the House was Republican, at times the Senate was Republican. They got together, and they got it done. We really need to replicate that process again," Bourdeaux said. Bourdeaux said if America has balanced the budget before, then it can be done again. When former President Bill Clinton took office, the national debt was over $4 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury data. Republicans and Democrats worked across the aisle to achieve budget surpluses through legislation like the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Bourdeaux said she wants to hear a real plan from Trump on Tuesday night. "Right now, even getting to balance. Nobody has a plan. Nobody has anything serious on the table right now. We need to set up what that plan is going to be and then start executing it," Bourdeaux added. Deputy White House press secretary Harrison Fields responded in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Since day one, President Trump has prioritized government efficiency, proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and the goal of signing a long overdue balanced budget. The Trump Administration is committed to ending the mindless spending of foreign wars, woke ideology, and unnecessary government programs that don't serve the American people." Trump's plan to slash federal spending is anchored in Elon Musk's leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day establishing DOGE "to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." The Trump administration has since directed government agencies to comply with DOGE's departmental investigations. According to the official DOGE website, the department has estimated $105 billion in savings, attributed to contract cancelations, workforce reductions, improper payment deletions and other regulatory changes. DOGE has drawn the praise of many Republicans and the protest of several Democrats for its aggressive action to dismantle government waste. DOGE has inspired government officials at the city, state and federal level to prioritize efficiency, from San Francisco ordering employees back to the office, to the Environmental Protection Agency locating its own $20 billion in wasteful spending. Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-NE, and Jacky Rosen, D-NV, introduced a new bipartisan bill last week that would require the annual presidential budget to include data on improper payments to federal agencies. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-PA, announced the Payment Integrity Information Reform Act to target overpayments by the federal government on the House side as well. A Senate DOGE Caucus was established in November 2024 by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-IA., "to identify and eliminate government waste" and works closely with Musk's DOGE to "promote fiscal responsibility." The House also established the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus to support DOGE through legislative article source: Trump urged by 'fiscal responsibility' group to show he's 'serious' about $36T debt
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump urged by 'fiscal responsibility' group to show he's 'serious' about $36T debt
EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of President Donald Trump's congressional address on Tuesday night, the Concord Coalition launched their new "fiscal responsibility" advocacy group, Concord Action, designed to pressure Congress to tackle America's $36 trillion debt crisis. Former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-GA, the new executive director and president, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital urged Trump to show he is serious about tackling America's debt crisis. "I'd like to hear that he's really serious about putting everything on the table and putting together an effort that reaches out," Bourdeaux said. "He really needs to reach across the aisle. We know that to get the budget done, just on an annual basis, it does require Democrats to be involved. This needs to be a bipartisan effort." Bourdeaux, a Democrat who worked with Republicans during the Great Recession to balance Georgia's state budget, said Trump needs to lead a "bipartisan effort" that goes "line by line" through the nation's spending. "It needs to be a thoughtful effort," Bourdeaux added. "It does need to tackle the waste, fraud and abuse, but anyone who is serious about balancing the budget knows that is not enough. We really have to go line by line through all the different programs that we do, including the mandatory spending, and look at places where we can find savings and efficiencies. And we also have to put the tax side on the table as well." The economy was the top issue for American voters in 2024, as four in 20 voters said inflation was the most important factor in their vote, according to 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis. Voters reported a negative view of the economy, with almost two-thirds rating the economy as not good, 40%, or downright poor, 24%. TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS "I know people approach this with a sense of despair, but it can be done. Back in the 1990s, I was actually a congressional staffer at the time. We did balance the budget. We did get together. It was done on a bipartisan basis. You know, Clinton was the president, but the House was Republican, at times the Senate was Republican. They got together, and they got it done. We really need to replicate that process again," Bourdeaux said. Bourdeaux said if America has balanced the budget before, then it can be done again. When former President Bill Clinton took office, the national debt was over $4 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury data. Republicans and Democrats worked across the aisle to achieve budget surpluses through legislation like the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Bourdeaux said she wants to hear a real plan from Trump on Tuesday night. "Right now, even getting to balance. Nobody has a plan. Nobody has anything serious on the table right now. We need to set up what that plan is going to be and then start executing it," Bourdeaux added. Deputy White House press secretary Harrison Fields responded in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Since day one, President Trump has prioritized government efficiency, proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and the goal of signing a long overdue balanced budget. The Trump Administration is committed to ending the mindless spending of foreign wars, woke ideology, and unnecessary government programs that don't serve the American people." Trump's plan to slash federal spending is anchored in Elon Musk's leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day establishing DOGE "to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." The Trump administration has since directed government agencies to comply with DOGE's departmental investigations. According to the official DOGE website, the department has estimated $105 billion in savings, attributed to contract cancelations, workforce reductions, improper payment deletions and other regulatory changes. DOGE has drawn the praise of many Republicans and the protest of several Democrats for its aggressive action to dismantle government waste. DOGE has inspired government officials at the city, state and federal level to prioritize efficiency, from San Francisco ordering employees back to the office, to the Environmental Protection Agency locating its own $20 billion in wasteful spending. Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-NE, and Jacky Rosen, D-NV, introduced a new bipartisan bill last week that would require the annual presidential budget to include data on improper payments to federal agencies. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-PA, announced the Payment Integrity Information Reform Act to target overpayments by the federal government on the House side as well. A Senate DOGE Caucus was established in November 2024 by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-IA., "to identify and eliminate government waste" and works closely with Musk's DOGE to "promote fiscal responsibility." The House also established the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus to support DOGE through legislative action.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$36 trillion national debt inspires new 'fiscal responsibility' group led by Democrat
FIRST ON FOX: The advocacy group Concord Coalition has tapped former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-Ga., to lead its new "fiscal responsibility" group aimed at lowering the country's $36 trillion in national debt. Concord Action said they will lead a grassroots effort to achieve a "sustainable" national budget. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the launch, Bourdeaux, the group's president and executive director, previewed Concord Action's plan to pressure Congress to balance the budget. "We are getting ready to launch Concord Action, which will complement the Concord Coalition and is intended to build on all the grassroots energy out there around the debt and deficit, to try to start moving the needle in Congress to bring fiscal responsibility and fiscal discipline to Washington," Bourdeaux said. Bordeaux, who represented Georgia's 7th Congressional District for one term beginning in 2021, worked on bipartisan legislation to tackle the national budget crisis during her tenure. She was a member of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility and Government Reform, a national group that says it's committed to reducing the federal deficit through bipartisan policy development. Trump Budget Bill Extending First-term Tax Cuts Survives House Vote Trump's 'Gold Card' Visa Plan A Boon For American Economy, Expert Says: 'Mutually Beneficial' Read On The Fox News App Georgia had a Republican-led legislature while Bourdeaux led Georgia's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office from 2007 to 2010. Bourdeaux played an advisory role to the Georgia State Senate in balancing the budget during the 2008 economic downturn. "I was director of Georgia's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession," Bourdeaux said. "I helped Georgia balance its budget during the worst fiscal crisis in modern memory. One message coming out of that is it can be done. I was working largely with the Republican leadership to balance the budget. But when we did that, those budgets passed by broad and bipartisan majorities. So this can be done through our regular democratic processes. I want to bring that sensibility to what we're working on here in Concord." Bordeaux said to expect a digital campaign with a newsletter to get the public involved in Concord Action's grassroots efforts. There will also be a town hall element to build energy on the ground. A 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis found the economy was the top issue for Americans, with 4 in 10 voters saying inflation was the most important factor in their vote. Voters had a negative view of the economy, with almost two-thirds rating the economy as not good, 40%, or downright poor, 24%. As the country approaches another government shutdown deadline and Congress begins budget negotiations for fiscal 2026, Bordeaux said it's a necessary time to launch Concord Action. "I think the issue of the debt and deficit is particularly salient to everyone," Bordeaux said. "We've obviously just been through inflation. We've seen interest rates rise. So it really is top of mind for lots of Americans right now." Concord Action said they will pressure Congress to stop adding to the federal debt and create a "sustainable budget" through "fiscal responsibility." "We just experienced some pretty serious inflation, and it was driven in part by the deficit in the growing debt," Bordeaux said. "We are $36 trillion in debt right now just based on our current trajectory. The Congressional Budget Office thinks we will add another $25 trillion to that," she said. "We are spending more on just the interest on debt than we spend on national defense, more than we even spend on Medicare. It's really starting to put a lot of pressure on a lot of big priorities that we have for this country. It is extremely important that we address this now."Original article source: $36 trillion national debt inspires new 'fiscal responsibility' group led by Democrat
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
$36 trillion national debt inspires new 'fiscal responsibility' group led by Democrat
FIRST ON FOX: The advocacy group Concord Coalition has tapped former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-Ga., to lead its new "fiscal responsibility" group aimed at lowering the country's $36 trillion in national debt. Concord Action said they will lead a grassroots effort to achieve a "sustainable" national budget. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the launch, Bourdeaux, the group's president and executive director, previewed Concord Action's plan to pressure Congress to balance the budget. "We are getting ready to launch Concord Action, which will complement the Concord Coalition and is intended to build on all the grassroots energy out there around the debt and deficit, to try to start moving the needle in Congress to bring fiscal responsibility and fiscal discipline to Washington," Bourdeaux said. Bordeaux, who represented Georgia's 7th Congressional District for one term beginning in 2021, worked on bipartisan legislation to tackle the national budget crisis during her tenure. She was a member of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility and Government Reform, a national group that says it's committed to reducing the federal deficit through bipartisan policy development. Georgia had a Republican-led legislature while Bourdeaux led Georgia's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office from 2007 to 2010. Bourdeaux played an advisory role to the Georgia State Senate in balancing the budget during the 2008 economic downturn. "I was director of Georgia's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession," Bourdeaux said. "I helped Georgia balance its budget during the worst fiscal crisis in modern memory. One message coming out of that is it can be done. I was working largely with the Republican leadership to balance the budget. But when we did that, those budgets passed by broad and bipartisan majorities. So this can be done through our regular democratic processes. I want to bring that sensibility to what we're working on here in Concord." Bordeaux said to expect a digital campaign with a newsletter to get the public involved in Concord Action's grassroots efforts. There will also be a town hall element to build energy on the ground. A 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis found the economy was the top issue for Americans, with 4 in 10 voters saying inflation was the most important factor in their vote. Voters had a negative view of the economy, with almost two-thirds rating the economy as not good, 40%, or downright poor, 24%. As the country approaches another government shutdown deadline and Congress begins budget negotiations for fiscal 2026, Bordeaux said it's a necessary time to launch Concord Action. "I think the issue of the debt and deficit is particularly salient to everyone," Bordeaux said. "We've obviously just been through inflation. We've seen interest rates rise. So it really is top of mind for lots of Americans right now." Concord Action said they will pressure Congress to stop adding to the federal debt and create a "sustainable budget" through "fiscal responsibility." "We just experienced some pretty serious inflation, and it was driven in part by the deficit in the growing debt," Bordeaux said. "We are $36 trillion in debt right now just based on our current trajectory. The Congressional Budget Office thinks we will add another $25 trillion to that," she said. "We are spending more on just the interest on debt than we spend on national defense, more than we even spend on Medicare. It's really starting to put a lot of pressure on a lot of big priorities that we have for this country. It is extremely important that we address this now."
