Federal budget watchdog group lauds Rick Scott, Stephanie Murphy

Rcik Scott and stephanie Murphy are being hailed as 'Fiscal Heoroes."

Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy have been named “Fiscal Heroes in Congress” by The Campaign to Fix the Debt, a nonpartisan federal budget watchdog group.

Scott was one of eight Republicans plus six Democrats in the U.S. Senate to be selected.

Murphy was one of 15 Democrats plus 12 Republicans and one Libertarian in the U.S. House of Representatives to be selected.

They were the only Florida lawmakers.

“The current public health and economic crisis is a painful reminder of why it is important to control the national debt during good times so that we have the capacity to borrow as needed during tough times without leaving the nation in a precarious fiscal position. Our Fiscal Heroes showed tremendous leadership prior to the pandemic, at a time when too many politicians were ignoring the issue,” Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt, stated in a Thursday news release.

“These members are being recognized for going the extra mile to develop and endorse solutions to the nation’s budget crisis. They have distinguished themselves by casting fiscally responsible votes, drafting and pursuing legislative solutions, pushing their party leaders to make addressing the debt a priority, and engaging and educating their constituents,” she continued.

Fix the Debt is a project of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group of politicians and economists. Its co-chairs are Republican former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Tim Penny of Minnesota. The group’s directors include David Stockman, who was director of the General Accounting Office under President Ronald Reagan, and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

“Their work now is more critical than ever, as pandemic relief has the national debt set to exceed the size of the economy by the end of this year and reach an all-time high in 2021,” MacGuineas stated, referring to the lawmakers selected for the “Fiscal Heroes” designations. “While today’s focus is rightly on the current emergency, our debt remains on an unsustainable trajectory and must ultimately be brought under control.”