The American people know that every day 3,000 kids begin to smoke, 1,000 of them die an early death. They're not going to allow us to go forward this year and not have comprehensive bipartisan legislation. It's in everybody's best interest.

Bowles and Simpson co-lead a business group The Campaign to Fix the Debt. He was also asked by North Carolina Gov. " Despite his praise of Ryan Bowles says he plans on voting for President Obama in November.

In 2010 Bowles served as the Democratic co-chair of President Barack Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform with Alan K. In 1997–98 he served as White House Chief of Staff and he also ran unsuccessfully for a North Carolina United States Senate seat in 2002 and 2004. He served from 2005 to 2010 as the President of the University of North Carolina system.