Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Former Senator Tim Wirth Join Campaign to Fix the Debt

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and former U.S. Senator Tim Wirth joined the Campaign to Fix the Debt as members of its national Steering Committee. As public policy experts with an intimate understanding of the inner workings of Washington, Secretary Spellings and Senator Wirth bring a unique long-term vision on the importance of addressing the country's federal debt problems.

"No one knows better than Secretary Spellings and Senator Wirth the importance of investing in our future and ensuring that we leave a better country for future generations. We are excited to have both of them as members of the Campaign's Steering Committee," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. "Ignoring the comprehensive reforms needed to stabilize the country's debt will only push our fiscal problems down the road, where they will be even more difficult to solve. Addressing the nation's debt problems is a responsibility we owe to our children and their children."

Secretary Spellings served as head of the Department of Education from 2005 to 2009. Before serving as Education Secretary, Spellings was the White House Domestic Policy Advisor. There she managed the development of the President's domestic policy agenda with a focus on long-term economic stability, domestic investment and fiscal responsibility.

"Americans have an obligation not only to ourselves to get the national debt under control, but also to the generations who will inherit even greater problems if we fail to act," said Secretary Spellings. "The longer we wait, the more difficult the challenges become. In the recent fiscal cliff negotiations we saw how easily political gridlock can jeopardize the interests of the country. Families and hardworking individuals across the country need to come together to put in place real solutions that stabilize and ultimately reduce the national debt. We simply can't afford to put it off."

Since its inception in 1998, Senator Wirth has served as President of the non-profit United Nations Foundation. He began his political career as a White House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson and later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education. Senator Wirth represented Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987. As a Member of the House, he was part of the "Gang of Four" – a group of lawmakers focused on the budget process. In 1986, Senator Wirth was elected to the Senate, where he served until 1993.

"We are all stewards of the economy, and we owe it not only to ourselves but to future generations to get our debt load in balance," said Senator Wirth. "From my years in Congress, I know real progress only occurs when both parties work together. Sadly, it seems like 'compromise' has become a taboo word in Washington. I'm proud to join the Campaign to Fix the Debt to help provide the support and cover lawmakers need to make the tough decisions. The national debt is a problem we can't run from."

For more information on the Campaign to Fix the Debt, please visit www.fixthedebt.org.

SOURCE Campaign to Fix the Debt