How New Dems Can Follow Through On Fiscal Reform

The New Democrat Coalition — 46 House members who describe themselves as the “pro-growth, fiscally responsible wing of the Democratic Party” — announced a new platform last week designed to strengthen the role of moderates in Congress.

The platform, dubbed the “American Prosperity Agenda,” included a pledge to “pursue a long-term, pro-growth fiscal reform that prioritizes investments in our future.” In a recent blog post, Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby outlined five ways these lawmakers can make good on this promise.

The New Democrat Coalition — 46 House members who describe themselves as the “pro-growth, fiscally responsible wing of the Democratic Party” — announced a new platform last week designed to strengthen the role of moderates in Congress.

The platform, dubbed the “American Prosperity Agenda,” included a pledge to “pursue a long-term, pro-growth fiscal reform that prioritizes investments in our future.” In a recent blog post, Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby outlined five ways these lawmakers can make good on this promise.

His recommendations included proposing a responsible sequester replacement, which could both achieve long-term savings and free up federal funds for public investments, and responsibly addressing upcoming deadlines such as the exhaustion of Social Security’s Disability Insurance Trust Fund in late 2016.

Bixby concluded that “each of these opportunities provides a chance for the New Dems to offer real solutions and serve as a model for fiscally responsible governing.”