Stop Deficit Squawks is an advocacy campaign project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which often operates alongside it’s charitable “sister” nonprofit New Venture Fund. Both groups are administered by philanthropic consulting firm Arabella Advisors. ¹ Stop Deficit Squawks previously advocated in favor of the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda while campaigning against right-of-center groups including the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. ²

Background

Stop Deficit Hawks was created in May 2021 by a coalition of left-of-center advocacy groups to coincide with Congress’ review of the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda while advocating against right-of-center groups critical of the agenda including the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). ²

Several activists from coalition members include Amy Traub, associate director of policy and research at Demos; Margarida Jorge, spokesperson for Healthcare for America Now; Lindsay Owens, then-interim executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative; Jhumpa Bhattacharya, vice president of programs and strategy of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development; Spencer Watkins, executive director of the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research; Emily TeKolst, an organizer with the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Morgan Stahr, co-executive director of Blue Future; and Jeremie Greer, co-executive director of Liberation in a Generation. ²

Other coalition members include the Action Center on Race and the Economy, the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD), Friends of the Earth, the Indivisible Project, Invest in America, Patriotic Millionaires, People’s Action, Social Security Works, the Strong Economy for All Coalition, and Tax March. ³

Activities

According to its 2021 press release, Stop Deficit Squawks alleged to spend “six figures” during the summer that year on advertisements opposing the research and positions of right-of-center organizations while claiming their alleged connections with corporate interests. ²

According to a position paper on its website, the group previously supported the Biden Administration’s “American Jobs Plan,” a proposal to spend $2 trillion on U.S. infrastructure over eight years. Stop Deficit Squawks also claimed to support the American Families Plan, an Administration proposal to increase federal spending on childcare, paid-leave programs, pre-kindergarten education programs, community college, and health care. Both were key components of the Administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda. ^{4 5 6}

Other position papers featured on the campaign’s website included discussions on Medicare, unemployment, environmentalism, and post-Great Recession economic recovery. The papers had supported left-of-center policy while criticizing right-of-center policy and advocacy groups. ⁷

1. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” opencorporates.com. Accessed June 17, 2025. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/EXTUID_2696217.
2. “Press Release: Advocacy Groups Launch Campaign To ‘Stop Deficit Squawks’ In Washington.” Stop Deficit Squawks. May 10, 2021. Accessed June 4, 2021.  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60660bb6cb93c20a58a7e474/t/609981f53593426c9061b5af/1620673013893/SDS+release.pdf
3. “Press Release: Advocacy Groups Launch Campaign To ‘Stop Deficit Squawks’ In Washington.” Stop Deficit Squawks. May 10, 2021. Accessed June 4, 2021.https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60660bb6cb93c20a58a7e474/t/609981f53593426c9061b5af/1620673013893/SDS+release.pdf
4. “American Rescue Plan.” The White House. March 11, 2021. Accessed June 7, 2021.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/American-Rescue-Plan-Fact-Sheet.pdf
5. “Build Back Better.” The White House. Accessed June 4, 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/build-back-better/
6. “We Can’t Let Squawks Stifle Another Recovery.” Stop Deficit Squawks. Accessed June 4, 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60660bb6cb93c20a58a7e474/t/6098d78d09bee517e8e53c9c/1620629389829/SDS-1PG-5.pdf
7. “Homepage: Additional Resources.” Stop Deficit Squawks. Accessed July 7, 2021.  https://www.stopdeficitsquawks.com/