Congress and the President have hard choices ahead, but ones which will allow us to start to pay off our debts, reduce the deficit, and jumpstart our economy. The process of applying short term Band Aids to our budget is not fair to the American people.
For the past two years, our Government has been running on short term budgets -- or in Washington language, “continuing resolutions.” These agreements passed by the House and Senate, then signed into law by the President, serve as place holders to keep the government running.Continuing resolutions cannot take the place of permanent budgets. Ohio families don’t have the luxury of a bridge loan to see them through for the next month, and neither should our government. Over the past four years I have voted against proposed budget resolutions which would have added over $2.3 trillion to our already staggering government debt.
The truth of why we’ve been forced to enact continuing resolutions is that the majority in the previous Congress did not see fit to write a budget. Now the new Congress is facing the responsibility of coming up with a plan to fund the government for this year while planning for next year at the same time.
In February, the President announced a Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal which offers $3.8 trillion in government spending this year alone – more than 25% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That is the highest percentage of spending in relation to GDP since World War II. In addition, his budget offers a $1.6 trillion tax hike on job creators, which makes it more difficult for businesses in our communities to put Ohioans back to work.
We are in a debt crisis, and offering a budget which projects a $1.6 trillion deficit while raising taxes on struggling families is a step in the wrong direction. However, the President’s recommendations for some cuts and efficiencies offer a starting point for a discussion. Since January, I have joined members of the House in approving spending reductions for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011, which builds on some of the cuts recommended by the President. I believe we must start trimming our budget now, rather than waiting for the next fiscal year to begin in October.
Some members of the Senate do not see things the same way. They treated the House-passed bill as a non-starter. To keep the government running, and avoid a shutdown, the House passed a two week continuing resolution in early March, with a paltry $4 billion in reduced spending.
The failure of leadership in the Senate and in the White House on this issue continued this week as the House passed another $6 billion in spending reductions. But because we have not approved a final budget, we are still on track to overspend what we are able to pay for this year alone by $1.2 trillion.
Ohioans expect our leaders to lead on this issue. Continuing to chip away at the edges while ignoring the larger issue of government spending money it doesn’t have is not sustainable. The Senate should take up the House’s approved continuing resolution which cuts $61 billion in spending, while ensuring the government is funded through the remainder of the fiscal year.
Following the passage of a continuing resolution which funds the government for the balance of the fiscal year, Congress must have a bipartisan debate on crafting a budget which takes real steps towards eliminating the deficit, creating jobs, addressing our trade deficit, and prioritizing spending to ensure a strong national defense.
Congress and the President have hard choices ahead, but ones which will allow us to start to pay off our debts, reduce the deficit, and jumpstart our economy. The process of applying short term Band Aids to our budget is not fair to the American people. While the Senate and the President fail to act, they spread uncertainty that a still recovering economy cannot afford.