West side Congressman Jerry Nadler joined two of his Democratic congressional colleagues in a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates urging them to broaden their perspective beyond deficit-cutting in this years Barack Obama-Mitt Romney debates.
Specifically, they note that the Bowles-Simpson plan, the bi-partisan plan to reduce the deficit that collapsed in part when it was rejected by both Mr. Obama and Paul Ryan, was insufficient in its scope since it dealt only with deficits and not with rebuilding infrastructure or increasing American competitiveness.
“As you know, the Simpson-Bowles plan centers on reducing our national debt while doing little to nothing to help our other priorities, such as investments in infrastructure, education, research, and other areas necessary to promote future economic growth and national competitiveness,” Mr. Nadler wrote in the letter that was co-signed by Mike Honda of California and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. “In addition, the Simpson-Bowles plan asks seniors, the middle class, and military personnel to sacrifice more, while those with the most are asked to do even less to help in our recovery….We urge the Commission not to bias the debate by focusing on one particular set of proposals, but, instead, to put forward a series of presidential debates where the candidates can engage in a robust debate about their vision for the future free from steering by questioners.”
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