OSPIRG’s Response to Initial Recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform

Statement from Jon Bartholomew, Policy Advocate for the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) on the initial recommendations released today by the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform:

“This initial proposal is a solid step toward the common ground necessary to make government more accountable for its spending. It tackles wasteful programs within the Departments of Defense and Agriculture that had, until now, been “off the table” and long-supported by powerful special interests. The draft report also begins the process of addressing corporate tax loopholes for industries operating overseas and for the oil and gas industry.

“We’re especially pleased to see some of the specific recommendations included that we’ve been working hard to bring to light with our allies from across the political spectrum.

“We do not endorse all of the recommendations and several raise concern. Among them, across the board spending cuts do not safeguard national priorities and can be counterproductive. We strongly encourage the Commission in its final report to prioritize closing additional special interest tax loopholes over reducing support for assets that serve the public.”

A more detailed analysis to follow.

Read the U.S. PIRG and National Taxpayers Union study Toward Common Ground: Bridging the Political Divide to Reduce Spending.

Read the U.S. PIRG report, The Next Trillion, which identifies additional revenue proposals.

The Oregon State Public Interest Research Groups is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization.