September 25, 2026
The Honorable Jodey Arrington
Chairman
House Committee on the Budget
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Brendan F. Boyle
Ranking Member
House Committee on the Budget
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member Boyle, and Members of the Committee:
National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) were honored to participate in the House Budget Committee’s Bipartisan Debt Summit in Dallas. The summit brought together lawmakers from both parties, fiscal watchdogs, and business leaders for a serious discussion of the nation’s debt. Your joint leadership sets an example for other congressional committees on working across party lines to address difficult fiscal challenges.
The next step is to give that discussion a path toward action on behalf of taxpayers.
The gross federal debt has surpassed $40 trillion. Behind that milestone are persistent deficits from over-spending, rising interest costs, and long-term unfunded obligations. Delay will allow the problems to worsen, narrow lawmakers’ options to respond to a crisis, and leave taxpayers with a more expensive problem to solve.
Alongside budget process reforms and statutory limits on spending, a bipartisan fiscal commission offers a way for lawmakers to examine the choices needed to stabilize debt relative to the economy, improve the long-term solvency of major trust funds, and put the federal budget on a sustainable path.
A fiscal commission should focus on reining in the debt without undermining economic growth. Tax hikes that discourage investment and job creation could weaken the economy and worsen the debt outlook.
The bipartisan Fiscal Commission Act (H.R. 3289), introduced by Representatives Bill Huizenga and Scott Peters, and its Senate companion (S. 4012), introduced by Senator John Curtis, offer a starting point. The Committee advanced an earlier version of the Huizenga–Peters Fiscal Commission Act in the previous Congress. The Committee has also examined the Budgeting for a Better America Act (H.R. 9452), a broader bipartisan budget reform package that includes a fiscal commission.
Some argue against a fiscal commission on the grounds that Congress should address the debt through regular order. But decades of missed budget deadlines and mounting debt show that business as usual is not working; a bipartisan fiscal commission could provide a needed path toward action.
At the hearing, former House Budget Committee Chairman, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that we are facing the worst fiscal crisis since World War II, argued rising debt also poses a national security threat, and urged Congress to take action on a fiscal commission with fast-track processes and enforcement.
A commission cannot make Congress’s choices for it. It can help members confront those choices together and bring a concrete proposal to a vote. We appreciate the Committee’s work to build bipartisan support, and NTU and NTUF stand ready to assist.
Sincerely,
Brandon Arnold
Executive Vice President
National Taxpayers Union
Demian Brady
Vice President of Research
National Taxpayers Union Foundation