National discussion to find solutions for the federal budget

The rising national debt is the focus of mounting concern in Washington, D.C. and nationwide. On June 26, AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy held a National Town Meeting across the country and online to address this topic.

On June 26, 3500 Americans came together in 38 cities and communities across the country to join an unprecedented, non-partisan discussion about our federal budget. Thousands of people weighed the options available and voiced their priorities in facilitated discussions that were linked by satellite and webcast. The full results of the meeting will be releasing in the coming weeks, and an interim report is currently available on the Our Budget, Our Economy web site. This report breaks down how participants elected to lower the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion by the year 2025. AmericaSpeaks is currently working to brief the White House and Congress about these results, and policymakers will also receive the final report when it is ready.

President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has been working to identify policies to help balance the Federal budget and reign in our national deficit that is projected to grow at an unsustainable rate. Some members of this commission participated in the AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy National Town Meeting. Now, AmericaSpeaks is working to ensure that the opinions the American people expressed at the Town Meeting figure prominently in the National Commission’s conclusions.

As concern grows for the U.S. budget deficit and rising national debt, we need your help. Citizen involvement is vital to finding common ground and ensures that policy-makers make decisions that reflect the public’s real priorities.

How can you help?

We’d like you to get involved and help find those common ground solutions about our federal budget. You can cross-post this blog post, and share it on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks. Stay in the loop via email by signing up at www.usabudgetdiscussion.org.

Other actions you can take to speak out and help to keep citizens’ voices in the discussion of our nation’s fiscal future:

•    Watch the introductory video about the national discussion, see results, and read about the latest budget news at usabudgetdiscussion.org
•    Like our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/usabudgetdiscussion.org and share it with your friends to receive updates on important news about the budget.
•    Follow us on twitter @usabudget and use the hashtag #usabudget when talking about the budget and deficit
•    Join our group on LinkedIn
•    Write a Letter to the Editor using our online tool
•    Host your own event about our fiscal future
•    Stay informed and involved by joining or following one of the many political groups focusing on this issue

Together, we can have a voice in the major decisions that affect our country.