Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) will host a free and open-to-the-public community conversation on fiscal responsibility at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, in the forum room at Minnetonka High School, 18301 Highway 7. 

Phillips will facilitate a discussion with a panel of experts before taking questions from the audience. The panel will include Phillips, Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank; Tim Penny and David Minge, both former U.S. Congressmen who serve on the board of directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; and representatives of The Concord Coalition.

The conversation comes as Congress nears its annual budget deadline, the federal deficit tops $1 trillion, and federal annual interest payments exceed $400 billion.

After the conversation, community members of all ages are invited to participate in a free workshop held in conjunction with the Concord Coalition - a national, non-partisan organization focused on addressing the national debt. Through interactive exercises, participants will work together in small groups to navigate the challenges of the federal budgeting process and create federal budgets of their own. Pizza will be provided for workshop attendees.