Peterson Foundation Fiscal Summit Convenes Nation’s Leaders to Discuss ‘Rising Debt in a Changing Economy’

WASHINGTON, May 23 -- The Peter G. Peterson Foundation issued the following news release:

Leading voices and policymakers from across the political spectrum gather today to discuss the national policy agenda, its connection to our growing national debt, and solutions to put us on a better path, at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation's 2017 Fiscal Summit: Rising Debt in a Changing Economy. The Foundation's eighth-annual Fiscal Summit will explore the significant fiscal implications of current reform proposals, and examine the opportunities that exist to ensure policy solutions are sustainable, fiscally responsible, and supportive of economic growth.

"Addressing our nation's unprecedented and unsustainable debt is critical to securing a strong, growing economy of the future," said Pete Peterson, Founder and Chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. "At today's Fiscal Summit, America's leading experts and policymakers will share their ideas and recommendations for putting our nation on a solid and sustainable fiscal path in order to ensure widely shared economic prosperity and opportunity for the next generation."

"As Congress and a new administration explore major changes in key areas -- healthcare, taxes, infrastructure, trade, and more -- our fiscal condition is as important as ever," said Michael A. Peterson, President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. "America's fiscal outlook is connected to all these issues because our national debt threatens our economy and weakens our ability to address our most important budget priorities. The good news is that solutions exist, and today's Summit will explore policy options to put us on a better path."

2017 Summit participants will include:

* Steven Mnuchin, United States Treasury Secretary

* Sen. John S. McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services

* Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Member of the Senate Budget Committee

* Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House of Representatives Democratic Leader

* Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), House Democratic Whip

* Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman

* Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA), Member of the Committee on Appropriations

* Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), Member of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services

* Michael Mullen, USN (Ret.), 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

* Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Mayor New Orleans and Former Lt. Governor of Louisiana

* Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services

* Joshua Bolten, President and CEO, Business Roundtable

* James Capretta, Resident Fellow and Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute

* Atul Gawande, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Moderators and interviewers for the Summit will include:

* Dana Bash, Chief Political Correspondent for CNN

* John Harwood, Editor at Large for CNBC

* Richard Rubin, U.S. Tax Policy Reporter for The Wall Street Journal

* Julie Rovner, Chief Washington Correspondent of Kaiser Health News

* Lisa Desjardins, Correspondent, PBS NewsHour

The day's agenda will feature:

* A series of one-on-one interviews with Congressional leaders including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator John McCain, and Senator Mark Warner. On the day that the Trump administration releases its budget, these leading policymakers will explore the connection between a crowded legislative agenda and America's rising national debt.

* In-depth conversations on the outlook for tax reform with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady.

* A panel exploring how reforming the U.S. healthcare system is essential to improving our fiscal outlook with Sylvia Mathews Burwell, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, James Capretta, resident fellow and Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, and Atul Gawande, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

More information about the Summit is available at: www.fiscalsummit.org.