WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) has been named a ‘Fiscal Hero’ by the nonpartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt for his leading role in assembling a bipartisan coalition to responsibly address our nation’s deficits and debt. The campaign, which was co-founded by former Republican U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, the two co-chairs of the 2010 National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, recognized Sen. Warner for his leadership and commitment to addressing the core drivers of our nation’s debt in a bipartisan and fiscally responsible way.

“We must be willing to put everything on the table, move past partisan gridlock and come together with meaningful solutions that will help put our economy on a more fiscally responsible path,“ Sen. Warner said. “I’m honored to be recognized by the nonpartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt. I remain committed to working to responsibly reduce spending, reform our tax code to generate new revenue and strengthen entitlement programs so they will still exist for the next generation of Virginians and Americans.”

“Mark Warner stands out as a true leader on fiscal responsibility,” said Maya MacGuineas, head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. “He has been tireless in his efforts to educate the country about the need to pass a comprehensive debt deal, both with the Gang of Six and other bipartisan groups in the Senate and House. Sen. Warner has helped keep a spotlight on this critical issue even when others have backed away from the hard choices involved in fixing the debt. There is much more to be done to confront our nation's debt challenges, and it is important to recognize leaders such as Sen. Warner who remain focused on these issues.”

In late 2010, Sen. Warner cofounded the Senate’s so-called “Gang of Six,” a bipartisan group of Senators which worked for nearly two years on a framework that would reduce deficits and debt by almost $4 trillion over 10 years. However, events related to the debt ceiling and the appointment of the “supercommittee” in the Fall of 2011 prevented the Gang of Six framework from receiving a vote by Congress.

As chair of the Senate Finance Committee’s Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth subcommittee and chair of the Budget Committee’s bipartisan Government Performance Task Force, Senator Warner has consistently fought for bipartisan solutions to reduce deficits and long-term debt while advocating for responsible investments and commonsense regulatory reforms that will strengthen and improve our nation’s economy. As Virginia Governor between 2002-2006, Mark Warner worked with the GOP-led Virginia legislature to cut state spending and reform government operations, saving Virginia’s best-in-the-nation Triple A bond rating. Virginia also was designated the nation’s Best Managed State and the Best State for Business.