Statement from the Campaign to Fix the Debt

The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt:

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Earlier today, President Obama gave a highly-anticipated address on our nation's ongoing economic challenges. While the Campaign to Fix the Debt was encouraged by the President's commitment to working with Congress in pursuit of long-term economic growth, we believe he missed an opportunity to tell the American people about the need to put our national debt on a sustainable downward path for the generations to come.

"While the Campaign to Fix the Debt echoes President Obama's desire to build a sustainable economy for all Americans, this cannot be accomplished without dealing with the nation's unsustainable debt path, which is a critical part of helping the recovery, creating jobs, and fueling long-term economic growth.

"Only the President has the ability to use the bully pulpit to draw the connections between debt, the economy, and American families' economic security. Instead of mentioning the deficit only to say how much it has fallen since its recession-era peak, the President could have explained, for instance, how failing to smartly deal with the debt has already started squeezing the types of public investments on infrastructure, research, and education that he said he would like to expand. Smart deficit reduction is necessary to achieve lasting economic growth and job creation.

"Dealing with the nation's long-term fiscal challenges will require Presidential leadership, and this was a lost opportunity for the President to help the nation focus on the kinds of policies that could be part of the solution."

For more information about the Campaign to Fix the Debt, please visit www.fixthedebt.org.

SOURCE Campaign to Fix the Debt