18
Jan
2013
GAO Report Released Yesterday Goes Virtually Unnoticed; No Labels Calls for Public Airing of Fiscal Facts
Yesterday the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Treasury Department released the financial statements for the entire U.S. federal government's operations. Every year, the Treasury and GAO release this essential financial report. Every year, no one notices. No Labels is calling for a nonpartisan expert, like the comptroller general, to deliver a televised fiscal update that would be attended by the president, vice president, executive cabinet and members of Congress. Then each person in attendance would be required to verify the accuracy of the report by signing it. That way leaders would be forced to hear the facts and affirm that they have done so.
This year, with a debt ceiling battle and automatic across-the-board cuts approaching yet again with no solutions in sight, it has never been more important for our elected officials to agree to the facts so they can debate the issues and possible solutions. Right now, negotiations are starting with different assertions regarding where we are, where we are headed, and how we compare to other countries.
"It's time to get rid of the Democratic assertions and the Republican assertions. The American people need to see the real facts," former U.S. Comptroller General and No Labels Co-Founder David Walker says. "However, when this important annual report is released in Washington, virtually no one pays attention, and the politicians, politicos and the media revert back to the same old partisan and ideological talking points. That's why it's so important to tell the American people -- and members of Congress -- the facts, all the facts and nothing but the facts."
No Labels is a grassroots movement of Democrats, Republicans and independents dedicated to promoting a new politics of problem solving. To arrange an interview with a No Labels co-founder, please contact Kelsey McLaughlin at press@nolabels.org or (202) 588-1990. To learn more about No Labels, please visit www.NoLabels.org.
###
