Lawmakers Agree US Must Get Finances ‘Back on Track,’ but Not on How It’s Done

Current and former members of Congress form unlikely alliances as they weigh in on a prospective commission to address the nation’s fiscal concerns.

House Budget Committee Ranking Member Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) (L) speaks with Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) during a markup meeting on Capitol Hill on Sept. 20, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Amid the fiscal uncertainty over the growing U.S. debt and deficit, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have found rare agreement on the need for remedial action—but not on the specifics of what that action should be.

A Congressional Budget Office report released on Oct. 10 showed the federal budget deficit was $1.7 trillion in fiscal year 2023—up 23 percent from 2022.