“The fact that the nation’s debt has become a national security threat hastens the need for the Indiana Senate’s resolution to be adopted across the states to draw attention to the gravity of the problem and bring us together to solve it in our lifetimes and for future generations,” Comptroller Nieshalla said.

Indiana Senators Jim Buck (R-Kokomo) and Linda Rogers (R-Granger) submitted the resolution for consideration during ALEC’s Annual Conference in July, at the Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee Meeting where it passed unanimously. Comptroller Nieshalla, who is the chair of the National Debt Crisis Task Force of State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF), presented remarks before the committee, raising concerns about the nation’s deficit spending and rising debt. She encouraged the adoption of Indiana’s resolution as a meaningful tool for lawmakers to use in calling for the restoration of fiscal solvency at the federal level. Yesterday, ALEC’s board of directors formally adopted the resolution to serve as model policy.

“As hard as so many states work to be in a strong financial position, we are vulnerable to the vastly weakened fiscal position of our nation due to the high level of accumulated debt,” Comptroller Nieshalla said. “This resolution signals the critical role states must play to call for the federal government to get back to the essential fundamentals of balanced budgets and a debt-to-GDP ratio that is manageable.”