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Mitch Daniels to help lead Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Maureen Groppe
mgroppe@gannett.com
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels

Four years after warning that the federal debt is the "new Red Menace" facing the nation, Mitch Daniels is helping lead a nonpartisan organization that educates the country about federal budget issues.

Daniels, who was President George W. Bush's first budget director and became Purdue University's president after leaving the governor's office in 2013, is now a co-chairman of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

When Daniels was considering seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for president, he argued the nation should call a truce on social issues to focus on the more urgent matters of the federal debt and national security.

"The debt our nation has amassed over decades is a result of the misplaced view that it is OK to duck the hard choices inherent in governing," Daniels said in a statement Tuesday. "But this is harming our economy and squeezing important budget priorities—particularly those that affect the next generations."

The other co-chairmen announced Tuesday are Democrat Leon Panetta, whose many past roles include serving as President Clinton's budget director and chief of staff, and former Rep. Tim Penny, D-Minn.

"We are uncommonly lucky to have these three great leaders join together to lead the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget," said president Maya MacGuineas. "Between them, they have written several books; led states, congressional committees, and federal agencies; and headed the Office of Management and Budget—not to mention all being well-known leaders in calling for fiscal responsibility."

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget was created in 1980 by former members of the House who believed there should be an organization outside of government committed to sound budget process.

The group's projects include fact-checking campaign promises candidates make about the federal budget, offering solutions for funding issues paralyzing Congress such as how to pay for roads and bridges, and urging presidential candidates to make fiscal issues a priority.

The federal budget deficit, which fell sharply in recent years, is projected to start rising relative to the size of the economy after 2018, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects. That will push up the $13 trillion debt to nearly 79 percent of GDP by 2025.