(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today joined with Hartford, Conn.-based Citizens for Change to set forth principles to ensure fiscal responsibility at all levels of government.

“Congress’s spendthrift ways have continued for far too long,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “To avoid leaving future generations with a crushing deficit, government leaders must re-establish proper financial discipline and program management practices in government.”

Fiscal Restraint Blueprint:

1.  The President and U.S. Congress immediately freeze federal government program spending;
establish a Grace-type commission to review each program and uncover waste and
mismanagement, identify and set ranked priorities among all programs, and set specific
spending limits for each.

2.  The U.S. Congress passes, and sends to the states for ratification, an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution making it unconstitutional for the Federal government to spend more than the
Federal government takes in—using actual revenues from the prior fiscal year. Until
approved by the states, federal officials faithfully adhere to this principle and the Grace-type
commission’s specified program limits.

3.  Governors, state legislatures, county and local government officials—across the United
States—take immediate action implementing the same fiscal management actions at the state,
county, and local levels of government, and faithfully adhere to the principles and program
limits set at their level.

Each month, Citizens for Change will announce which government officials across the nation
have taken action to implement each of the principles included in the fiscal restraint program.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.