The Excuse of Impossibility

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/104635-dems-wont-pass-budget

The House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is announcing today that there will not be a budget blueprint passed this year. “It isn’t possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget until we’ve considered the bipartisan commission’s deficit-reduction plan, which is expected in December,” Hoyer will say in prepared remarks.

Why is it not possible? Why must congress wait until December for recommendations from a commission that does not have the force or effect of law? Meaning why does it have to wait for recommendations that are not mandated by law to be enacted? The answer is it doesn’t.

The reason it isn’t “possible” is because it is an election year. And Congress knows full well that to begin debate on a budget blueprint would force it’s out of control spending directly into the light of day, a very uncomfortable position for any politician these days.

Our current national debt stands at over $13 Trillion dollars. That is nearly 90% of US GDP. To put it in perspective, if every man, woman and child in the US forked over approximately $42,000, we could pay the debt off. And it is only increasing. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid costs continue to increase. A new healthcare entitlement has now been added, which will only increase the debt as well. And all this at a time when the economy continues to sputter along and more and more people are unemployed.

What has been clear for decades is that both Congress, and presidents of both parties, lack the political will to do what must be done to bring spending under control. They kick the can down the road because God forbid they do anything that might hinder their re-election prospects. Well the road has come to an end. There is nowhere left for it to go but off a cliff. And our leaders refuse to take their foot off the gas.

Alan Greenspan wrote in the Wall Street Journal last week that, “Only politically toxic cuts or rationing of medical care, a marked rise in the eligible age for health and retirement benefits, or significant inflation, can close the deficit. I rule out large tax increases that would sap economic growth (and the tax base) and accordingly achieve little added revenues.” Yet the talk we hear now to close the deficit gap is a European style Value Added Tax (VAT).

On numerous occasions I read and hear people lamenting the partisan atmosphere that keeps anything from getting done in Washington D.C. I respectfully disagree. Partisanship has nothing to do with it. Cowardice is the root cause. We are lead by people who are more concerned with their election prospects than their Constitutional responsibility to govern this country in a responsible fashion. The majority of our elected officials aren’t stupid. Every one of them know that the right thing to do is cut federal spending and make those politically tough decisions. But the fact of the matter is they lack the spine to do it. They like their perks more than the people they were elected to serve. And it is that selfishness, and their continued weakness of character, that will see our country go the way of Greece.