NDN Statement on President Obama's Fiscal Speech: The Kind of Future We Want

Today, NDN President Simon Rosenberg and NDN Globalization Initiative Chair Dr. Robert J. Shapiro issued the following statement on President Obama's fiscal speech at the George Washington University:

"In his speech today at George Washington University, President Obama offered the nation a thoughtful, balanced, and credible fiscal path forward. His plan should be the starting point for all future negotiations on spending and taxes between the two parties. His proposal achieves the $4 trillion in deficit reduction that the GOP plan purports to produce, and it does so while protecting the basic pledges of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security.  It also makes room for the critical investments in education, innovation, and infrastructure so necessary for Americans to succeed in the fiercely competitive global economy of the 21st century.  

The contrast between the President's thoughtful fiscal approach and the reckless one offered by the Republican leadership last week could not be more clear. As the President said 'The debate over budgets and deficits is about more than just cutting and spending. It's about the kind of future we want.'"

Said Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, chief architect of Bill Clinton's economic program in 1992, and now Chair of NDN's Globalization Initiative, "In the 1990s, we saw how a smart approach to restraining the fastest-growing areas of spending and raising additional revenues from those who can most afford it could balance the budget  -- and create room for investments that drive economic growth. President Obama's vision is very similar, and it makes me optimistic again about America's future prosperity."