New Dem of the Week: Jim Cooper
U.S. Representative, Tennessee
Under President Bush America has experienced the biggest fiscal deterioration in United States history. White House projections show annual deficits around $250 billion for the rest of the president's term, totaling nearly $3 trillion added to the national debt.
This is a far cry from the 1990's when Democrats showed that it was possible to reduce chronic federal budget deficits while fostering strong economic growth.
While the current administration has abandoned fiscal accountability, we do have individuals such as United States Representative Jim Cooper of Tennessee who are trying to restore the country's discipline. Along with the Nashville Health Care Council, Rep. Cooper sponsored the "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour," in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday. This tour is a nation-wide series of town hall forums focused on the nation's long-term fiscal challenges.
The "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour" is part of a nonpartisan initiative called "Facing Up to the Nation's Finances," in partnership with the Brookings Institution, the Concord Coalition, the Heritage Foundation, Public Agenda, and Viewpoint Learning. The goals of "Facing Up to the Nation's Finances" are to:
- Engage citizens from across the country in a structured discussion, called ChoiceDialogues, on the basic facts of the federal budget challenge; and
- Determine a course of action that reflects Americans' national values and vision for the future.
Rep. Cooper was joined at the forum by U.S. Comptroller and head of the Government Accountability Office, David Walker, as well as Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition, Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation, Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institute, and Heidi Gantwerk of Viewpoint Learning. During the panel discussion, all of the participants cited the need for a sweeping overhaul in the way the country assembles its spending and revenue plan, including changes to entitlement programs and the tax system.
As a follow up to the Nashville ChoiceDialogue, "Facing Up to the Nation's Finances" will hold another meeting this coming Saturday to bring together Tennessee political and business leaders, along with Tennesseans who participated in Monday's forum to delve more deeply into the specifics of potential reform.
Referred to as "Mr. Fiscal Responsibility," Rep. Jim Cooper is committed to ensuring that the citizens of Tennessee not only understand the nation's long-term fiscal problems, but work together to create the solutions.