The Art of Compromise

Will the Government Shut Down?

I was very suprised to hear that yesterday a compromise was reached to continue to fund the government until April 8. Congressman Gowdy voted no on this temporary CR and I very much respect him for his steadfast disapproval of our out-of-control government spending. I am waiting very anxiously to see what happens within these next few weeks between both parties. I love being in the dead center of all of the action!
I find myself becoming more interested in the politics of our nation every and every day. Here's my small rant for the day... Although Obama's intentions are well, his national strategy and job-creating agenda do not seem to truly address the problems of federal spending and the ballooning national debt. Obama's proposed cuts in defense, governmental reform, and partial budget freeze do not seem adequate means to recover our country's current fiscal catastrophe. The new Congress cannot appropriate funds for programs that it cannot afford and it cannot continue spending at the current FY 2010 level. The massive deficits we have accrued and the increasing debt we owe threaten the stability and security of our Nation. For this reason, decreasing government spending is a top priority. All of this new government spending was sold as "investment" two years ago; and now, two years later, this “investment” has instigated an unemployment rate above 9% and a government addition of over $3 trillion to our debt. Obama engages issues of education, clean energy, infrastructure, etc; and although I agree that education is exceptionally integral to society, showering money on education at this moment is not practicable. We must stick to our priorities and current fiscal obligations. Likewise, Obama's plan to increase spending on highways, bridges, and other infrastructure, even though such public work projects have been a way to create jobs, is spiraling our country into further debt and not something we can take on. Even though these efforts are "investments in our future," we simply do not have the money and must realize this painful truth.
Instead of requesting additional spending, I believe that our country needs to downsize in government and slash spending. This includes the introduction and implementation of bills to cut Congress' own budget, a repeal of the current health care law, and vast governmental reformation. Something that I have witnessed of this fashion already is the passage of H.Res.22. My congressman, along with 407 other representatives on the Hill agreed to this budget reduction bill, demonstrating personal fiscal responsibility by reducing each House Committee budget and each Member’s personal office budget by five percent. This sends a potent message to Americans that even Members of Congress should not be exempt from spending cuts. Additionally, H.R. 121, the Congressional Budget Accountability Act will require leftover funds from Members’ personal office budgets be returned to the U.S. Treasury to specifically go towards debt and deficit reduction. Both bills represent great preliminary steps towards getting our country out of the red. I am proud to be a staffer in an office that stood for both of these.
Also adding great numbers to our current debt is Obamacare. Obama defends the new healthcare law, which he said would slow rising costs, reduce the deficit, and prevent people with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage. Apart from the new healthcare reform arousing questions of constitutionality, its associated costs are leading to a rapid increase in federal expenditures. Projected increases in federally mandated health care costs are not just a threat to the national budget, but also to the viability of American businesses and the health of family budgets. A realistic solution to the long-term budget outlook must confront the real drivers of the growth of the national debt, one of which is the rapid rise in health care costs.
We need targeted, prudent” investments” to help create a better future but these need to be properly designed, effectively implemented and should be paid for. In closing, the debt limit has been raised 10 times since 2001 alone because of budget deficits consistently incurred. The debt limit increases were ostensibly necessary to prevent the United States from defaulting on its obligations but now it is past time to place our country on the path to long term, sustainable fiscal health. This means the 112th Congress must cut spending, restore accountability, reform entitlement programs and pursue a balanced budget amendment. In the process, Congress must restore public trust in the fiscal health of the federal government. This requires a frank, candid discussion on the size and scope of government and a pledge to future generations to turn a prosperous, financially secure country over to them.
Sorry if this put you all to sleep as I am sure that it did. This is just an idea of what I live, eat, and breathe every day. I LOVE IT.

Until next time....