The only way to get the federal government to end this indefensible practice is to draw a line and finally hold Washington accountable. The pledge we’ve signed represents an important step in this process.

It calls for the kinds of budget cuts Washington needs now and for a hard cap on all future spending. And it finally moves us to a mandatory balanced budget that will end the era of national debt, raging deficits and failed “stimulus” programs that have negatively affected so many aspects of American life…

As governors, we have to ensure the voices of all Americans — not just those in Washington who largely got us into this mess — are heard in this debate, and that we don’t miss the opportunity to repair a part of our economy, and our political culture, that’s been broken for far too long.