In Case You Missed It: The New York Times and The Washington Post Applaud the Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Plan

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In lead editorials published today and over the weekend, The New York Times and The Washington Post applauded the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) landmark Debt Reduction Task Force report, Restoring America's Future, calling it a "thought-provoking plan," and urged elected officials to demonstrate leadership on the issue of the nation's growing debt.  The Debt Reduction Task Force, chaired by former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici and former White House Budget Director and Federal Reserve Vice Chair Alice Rivlin, released its report last week.

"Since the midterm election, two bipartisan panels have issued thought-provoking plans. The first is a draft proposal from the co-chairmen of President Obama's fiscal commission. The second is from a panel at the Bipartisan Policy Center, founded by former Senate leaders," The Times editorial page wrote, in a piece titled, Now, for Some Leadership.  "We believe the Bipartisan Center's plan amplifies the strong aspects of the commission's draft while correcting for some of its shortcomings.  Both tell hard truths about the choices ahead -- more than we heard from the politicians in this year's campaign."  

The Washington Post editorial page agreed, writing in a piece titled, Another Angle on Deficit Reduction, the BPC plan "merits close study."  

"The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) proposal, overseen by Democrat Alice Rivlin and Republican Pete Domenici, demonstrates that reasonable people in both political parties, if not elected officials, can agree on a deficit reduction plan:  The 19-member bipartisan task force included not only Ms. Rivlin, who served as President Clinton's budget director, and Mr. Domenici, a former Republican senator from New Mexico, but also Republicans such as former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating and former commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Democrats such as former Michigan governor Jim Blanchard and Clinton housing secretary Henry Cisneros," said The Post.

Both editorials called for more political leadership on the issue of the debt and deficits.  "There is no way to reduce the deficit without strong leadership from President Obama and honest cooperation from the Republicans," The Times editorial concluded.  "The ideas are out there.  Now we are waiting for the politicians."  

"No task force can supply what is missing from both proposals:  political will to get the plan enacted," said The Washington Post.  "The coming months will show whether that will exists, from President Obama or members of Congress."  

To read the entire New York Times editorial, click here.  To read the entire Washington Post editorial, click here.  For a full copy of the BPC's Debt Reduction Plan, including the Executive Summary, press clips and video from last week's press conference, please visit our website:  http://bipartisanpolicy.org/projects/debt-initiative/about.

The BPC's Debt Reduction Task Force includes 19 former White House and Cabinet officials, former Senate and House members, former governors and mayors, and business, labor, and other leaders.  The plan, Restoring America's Future, reduces and stabilizes the debt at less than 60 percent of the economy, reforms personal and corporate taxes to make America more competitive, ensures that Social Security can pay benefits to future generations, and controls health care costs.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

In 2007, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. Currently, the BPC focuses on issues including health care, energy, national and homeland security, transportation, science and economic policy. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/.

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center