(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Rep. Dennis Moore (Third District – Kansas) joined his colleagues Wednesday in introducing bipartisan legislation requiring Congress to address the nation’s looming fiscal crisis before spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid bankrupts the federal government.

The Securing America’s Future Economy (SAFE) Commission Act of 2007, H.R. 3654, would require Congress to vote up-or-down on a plan to overhaul spending and revenue, as drafted by a 16-member, bipartisan commission made up of members and outside appointees of the legislative and executive branches. Moore is a cosponsor of the bill, which was introduced by Congressmen Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Frank Wolf (R-VA).

“The SAFE Commission Act takes the politics out of long-term tax and spending questions and puts them in the hands of a capable bipartisan commission,” said Congressman Moore. “There’s no doubt there will be tough choices to make, but we must deal with our fiscal realities in a frank and honest manner so that we can get back on the road to fiscal responsibility. Americans are not afforded the luxury of living beyond their means and our government should stop doing so at the expense of our children and grandchildren.”

The SAFE Commission Act would create a balanced, 16-member panel comprised of the White House OMB Director and Treasury Secretary; four members appointed by the Senate Majority Leader and four appointed by the Speaker of the House; three appointed by the House Minority Leader and three appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. No more than four Members of Congress could sit on the commission. It would be tasked with holding town hall meetings around the country and then submitting a report that balances long-term spending and revenue scenarios for the nation. If congressional leaders fail to introduce their own proposal, the SAFE Commission’s legislative proposal is automatically brought to the House floor. If passed, it is sent to the Senate for similarly expedited consideration.

“It’s a shame that we have to set up a BRAC-style commission to force Congress to do its job, but we can’t afford to keep our heads in the sand any longer,” said Congressman Cooper, who serves with Moore on the House Budget Committee. “There’s no excuse for us to push this burden onto our children when we have all the tools to confront it now. This is a moral imperative for our generation.”

In his prepared remarks for an event announcing the introduction of the bill, Comptroller General David Walker expressed his support for the bill, saying: “As I have noted on numerous occasions, our country is on an imprudent and unsustainable fiscal path. It’s time that we started treating the disease rather than debating the symptoms. The time to rise above partisan politics and do our patriotic duty is now.”

The SAFE Commission Act has been endorsed by a bipartisan coalition of organizations, including the Concord Coalition, Heritage Foundation, Brookings Institution, and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.