Washington – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) has been honored by the nonpartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt as a ‘Fiscal Hero’ for his leadership in Congress to strengthen and improve the country’s fiscal future by addressing the national debt. The Campaign to Fix the Debt, comprised of a bipartisan group of national leaders, was formed by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. In order to be designated a “fiscal hero,” a lawmaker must distinguish themselves by casting fiscally-responsible votes; working as a leader in bipartisan efforts; consistently urging congressional leaders to prioritize addressing the debt; and educating and engaging constituents on these important issues.

“Sen. Warner has worked through a variety of channels to draw attention and find solutions to the nation’s fiscal challenges,” said Maya MacGuineas, Head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. “While many lawmakers have chosen to bury their heads when it comes to these issues, Sen. Warner has shown courage and leadership and has been willing to stand up for what is right for the country – even when it’s not easy to do so.”

Continued MacGuineas, “The longer we wait, the more severe and difficult the choices will be to fix the debt. Yet very few Members of Congress take this problem seriously. Those who do, like Sen. Warner, deserve our thanks and praise.”

“I’m pleased to receive this recognition by the Campaign to Fix the Debt,” said Sen. Warner. “I will continue to work in Congress to look for ways to responsibly reduce federal spending, update and restructure the tax code to generate new revenue, and strengthen and reform our entitlement programs to put our country on a stronger fiscal footing. I continue to be willing to work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, who is willing to take a serious approach towards finding balanced solutions.”

‘Fiscal Hero’ honorees included 26 members of the House and 21 Senators from both parties, covering a range of political views. 

In 2010, Sen. Warner co-founded the Senate’s ‘Gang of Six,’ which was a bipartisan group of Senators who worked for almost two years on a legislative structure that would reduce deficits and debt by nearly $4 trillion over a decade.

Sen. Warner is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth and has persistently sought out bipartisan solutions to reduce the nation’s deficits and long-term debt. As Governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006, Mark Warner worked with the majority-Republican Virginia legislature to reduce state spending and reorganize government operations, thus maintaining Virginia’s best-in-the-nation Triple A bond rating. Also under Mark Warner’s leadership as Governor, Virginia was recognized as the nation’s Best Managed State and Best State for Business.

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