92,000 Americans Sign Debt Petition in One Week

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Aug 16, 2012, 11:03 ET

Citizen's Petition to Fix the Debt is Formally Endorsed by Bowles and Simpson, Former White House Fiscal Commission Co-Chairs Who Now Lead the "Campaign to Fix the Debt"

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the "Citizen's Petition to Fix the Debt," an online non-partisan petition launched last week by six politically diverse Americans, surpassed 92,000 signatures – gaining over 50,000 of those signatures in the first 48 hours. The petition is a plea from Americans across the ideological and socio-economic spectrum for Congress and the President to take real action on the public national debt, which currently stands at $11 trillion.

"We are accidental activists – entrepreneurs, dads and concerned citizens who believe the national debt is the single biggest challenge facing America and who wanted to give other concerned citizens a bullhorn with which to be heard," said Rob Foregger, who launched the petition with his friends Bob Anderson, Craig DeLuca, Biddle Duke, Jim Del Favero and Steve Silverman. "The debt crisis touches us all and threatens the things we value most about our nation, including a strong social safety net, national security, economic growth and a shot at the American dream for our children."

The Citizen's Petition is non-partisan and suggests what almost everyone knows: that the country's unsustainable debt needs to be addressed in a timely manner, and politicians from both parties will have to come together to find a viable plan. People who sign the petition agree on six fundamental principles: 1) America's debt is unsustainable; 2) any solution must address all parts of the budget including cutting spending, reforming entitlements and reforming the tax code and eliminating tax loopholes to raise revenues; 3) any solution must protect America's core values; 4) finding common ground is essential; 5) the national interest is more important than special interests; and 6) the time to act is now.

The petition is the official petition of the recently launched Campaign to Fix the Debt, a national non-partisan movement to put America on a more stable fiscal and economic path.

"As we travel the country talking about the threat posed by our national debt and the need for action, we have received an overwhelming reaction from people across the spectrum who agree and want to help. This petition will provide these citizens with a way to ensure their voice is heard loud and clear," said Erskine Bowles, a former White House Chief of Staff who, along with former Senator Al Simpson, authored the seminal debt relief plan that came out of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and founded the Campaign to Fix the Debt with Simpson. "I believe the founders of the petition have the energy that is needed to gather millions of signatures and greatly enhance our chances of success in forging a long-term solution on the national debt."

"The voters are way ahead of their elected representatives in realizing we need to honestly 'do something' about this problem," added Simpson. "The American public is thirsting for the truth and bold leadership from their elected representatives. That is what this petition demands."

The Steering Committee for the non-partisan Campaign to Fix the Debt includes: Erskine Bowles, Senator Alan Simpson, Senator Judd Gregg, Governor Ed Rendell, Governor Phil Bredesen, David Cote, Congressman Jim McCrery, Senator Sam Nunn, Michael Peterson, Steven Rattner, and Ambassador Robert Zoellick.