Senator Warner “Skyped” into Williamsburg today as a keynote speaker for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Summit, and spoke about his efforts in Congress to find bipartisan consensus on a rational and responsible plan to avoid the fiscal cliff.

“Education, energy, immigration, and staying globally competitive are vital issues for Virginia’s economy and America’s economy,” Senator Warner told the 500 state business leaders. “But until we get our balance sheet fixed, we won’t be able to get to any of these other things.”

The Virginia Chamber is a powerful voice for the statewide business community, and Senator Warner emphasized the important role that its members could play in urging other members of Congress to compromise on a bipartisan solution. “If you ran a business by just pointing out what’s wrong with your competition, you’d be out of business,” Senator Warner said. 

He praised groups like Fix the Debt, a nonpartisan group of American CEO’s who recently stepped-up to urge consensus on a balanced approach to the nation’s deficits and debt.

The highlight of the Chamber meeting will be the release of “Blueprint Virginia,” a statewide economic development plan. Senator Warner welcomed the Chamber’s focus on developing a long-term plan for the Commonwealth.  

“My hope is that we can take this document, embrace it, and perhaps improve upon it,” Senator Warner said.