Below is a letter from Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas to all Members of Congress asking them to offset the costs of all new initiatives. Deficits are rising and lawmakers should abide by pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) principles.
An excerpt of the letter:
While it may not be possible to stem this rising debt overnight, we request that you abide by the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) principle. This principle is simple: if something is worth doing, it is worth paying for.
The PAYGO principle is a pillar of responsible governance. It was vital to bipartisan efforts to control deficits—and ultimately to balancing the budget—in the 1990s. PAYGO ensures that the highest priorities supplant lower priorities, rather than testing the limits of the national credit card.
An identical letter was sent to each Member of Congress. See the full letter below or in PDF.
