©ERE Coalition for Fiscal Restraint Po« Office Box 23B71 Washington, D.C. 20036-3871 The Coalition for Fiscal Restraint (COFIRE) was organized in September of 1988 by a group of trade associations, citizens groups and corporations to advocate deficit reduction through restraints on the growth of federal spending, not through an increase in taxes. Trade association members of COFIRE represent almost four million individual businesses, including 800,000 realtors, and another 3,500,000 family farm units; corporate members over 1,100,000 employees, and citizens group members more than 2,170,500 private American citizens. The Coalition has adopted the following statement of purpose u "The Coalition for Fiscal Restraint will promote economic growth, prosperity, and opportunity by opposing any tax increases and by supporting deficit reduction through restraints on the growth of federal spending." Membership in the Coalition is open to any group which will subscribe to this statement of purpose and permit its name to be used'as so committed. > The Coalition opposes any additional tax burden on the national economy because (1) it would slow continued economic growth and (2) it would only permit the targets of the GramraRudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act to be met at higher levels of spending. For this latter reason, revenue resulting from increased taxes would not be used to reduce the deficit. One of the Coalition's objectives is to inform the public about budget proposals and pertinent aspects of the budget process, emphasizing the fact, for example, that annual federal revenue growth without any change in existing tax laws should be able to cover federal costs (i. e., total federal outlays for the next fiscal year) without any need for additional tax revenue. According to the Congressional Budget Office, federal revenue is estimated to increase by $86 billion in fiscal 1990 and by an average of $74 billion each year through 1993. In order to achieve a balanced federal budget over this period. Source: https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jjcx0034 2. thus meeting Gramm-Rudman-Hollings targets, spending growth must be limited to about $35 billion annually. This represents an increase in federal outlays of about 3.1 percent from one year to the next. It is the purpose of the Coalition to bring these facts and others to the attention of the public, to gain grassroots support for meeting.the targets of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Act without any increase in taxes, and to utilize this support in persuading the Congress and the Administration to (1) exercise fiscal restraint and (2) reject any tax increase. There are no dues for Coalition membership. Contributions will be solicited from member-organizations for those events and miscellaneous expenses which require special funding. Coalition activities are divided into the three following general categories: (1) generating grassroots support to further the Coalition's objectives as described, • (2) conducting advocacy efforts within the Administration and the Congress as described, (3) mounting a nation-wide education campaign to insure better public understanding of the budget process and the feasibility within this process of achieving a balanced federal budget without the need for a tax increase. To perform these objectives, three committees — Media, Grassroots, and Legislative — have been organized, composed of representatives from the Coalition's member-organizations. Organizations wishing to become members of the Coalition can contact COFIRE, P. 0. Box 23871, Washington, D. C. 20026. Source: https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jjcx0034 March 16, 1989 Members - Coalition for Fiscal Restraint American American American American American Bus Association Cyanamid Company Farm Bureau Federation Furniture Manufacturers Association Legislative Exchange Council American Logistics Association American Pulpwood Association Inc. ' American Rental Association ." Americans for Tax_ Reform " ' " . ' . Amway Corporation .-.,_.. Armstrong World Industries Associated Builders and Contractors Association of Private Weather Related Companies (APWRC) BATUS Inc. Chamber of Commerce of the United States Chevron U. S. A. Inc. Chocolate Manufacturers Association Citizens Against Government Waste Citizens for a Sound Economy Committee for-Private"Offshore Rescue and Towing ;'•• Consumer Alert Contract Services Association Coors and Company, Adolph Dairy and Food Industries Supply Association Dayton Hudson Corporation t Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Dynamics, Inc. Electronic Data Systems Corp. Entrepreneurs -of America Federated/Allied Department Stores FMC Corporation The Gap, Inc. Grocery Manufacturers of America Helicopter Association International Independent Bakers Association Independent Petroleum Association International Ice Cream Association International Mass Retail Association K Mart Corp. Koch Industries Source: https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jjcx0034 Middle South Utilities Milk Industry Foundation National-American Wholesale Grocers' Association National Association of Brick Distributors National Association of Home Builders National National National National National Association of Realtors Association of Truck Stop Operators Association of Wholesaler/Distributors Candy Wholesalers Association Cattlemen's Association National National National National National Coffee Service Association Federation of Independent Business Fcod Brokers Association Grange Independent Dairy-Foods Association National National National National National Retail Merchants Association Soft Drink Association Tax Equality Association Tax Limitation Committee Taxpayers Union NL Industries Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Philip Morris Cos., Inc. Reynolds Metals Co. Savers and Investors League Sears, Roebuck and Co. Sun Company United Bus Owners of America U. S. Business and Industrial Council Source: https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jjcx0034