Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the commissioners of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform urging passage of the commission's final report.  TCS believes this report represents one of the best opportunities to challenge the status quo and put these difficult choices before Congress and the American people.  It is not necessary for commissioners, or taxpayers, to agree with all of the proposals in the report.  The goal of the commission has always been to jumpstart a genuine, public debate in Congress and with the public about our priorities and how to reverse the growth of our national deficits and debt.  Public and commissioner support of this final report will enable Congress to start the challenging task of considering all the options.

December 2, 2010

National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
1650 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20504

Dear Commission Member:

Taxpayers for Common Sense strongly urges you to vote for passage of the final report of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. By accepting the appointment to the commission, you acknowledged that difficult budgetary choices must be made given the depth of our fiscal crisis. We believe this proposal represents one of the best opportunities to challenge the status quo and put these difficult choices before Congress and the American people.

We applaud the members of the commission who have already come out in favor of the final report, especially those commission members who are also sitting members of Congress. Because balancing the budget will require making some politically unpopular decisions, it takes political courage for members of either party to support a package that includes these difficult, but necessary, choices.

It is not necessary for you to agree with all of the proposals in the final report in order to vote for passage. The goal of the commission has always been to jumpstart a genuine, public debate in Congress and with the public about our priorities and how to reverse the growth of our national deficits and debt. This final report represents a commendable effort to begin this difficult task. Your support will enable Congress to start the challenging task of considering all the options.

If the final report of the commission is rejected, Congress and the American people will have missed another – and perhaps the best – opportunity to begin making the politically difficult reforms that must be made if we are serious about balancing the budget. Instead of the legacy of telling Americans, and indeed the world, that our country is finally becoming serious about our deficits and debt, the report will become just the latest pile of paper on a shelf in the back rooms of offices on Capitol Hill.

Most observers agree that the federal budget is on an unsustainable path and will ultimately result in deeply disruptive and painful economic damage if this is not corrected soon. We urge you to vote for this serious report and send Congress the signal that all options should be considered to get the country out of the fiscal hole we have dug.

Sincerely,