Committee for Economic Development

CED has long viewed US fiscal health as crucial to economic growth and business operations. Our national debt continues to grow unchecked, now exceeding $36 trillion. The cost of servicing this debt, now more than the US spends on defense, cripples our ability to adapt government spending to current needs. A national debt-to-GDP ratio of 100%, estimated to reach 180% by 2050, is already unsustainable and will inevitably crush any future ambitions we hold for our nation’s potential.

CED believes it is essential for US economic growth and national security that the Administration and Congress take measures to halt and eventually reverse the growth of the national debt to a more sustainable 70% of GDP. This can only be achieved through policies that promote productivity and through difficult choices in budgeting, including tax reforms and expense reductions. Additionally, the principal Social Security Trust Fund will become depleted in a decade without action and Medicare faces the reality of needed modernization.

To support lawmakers and the public in facing these challenges, CED serves as a resource for the business perspective on these important fiscal policy issues. CED regularly releases Solutions Briefs, Explainers, Policy Backgrounders and Alerts, and other reports and toolkits that provide important context and recommendations to address our nation’s fiscal health challenges. A comprehensive overview of CED’s fiscal health resources can be found here.