The Unserious Senate Budget
By Rep. Tom Price
This piece first appeared on RealClearPolitics.com on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
For years now, House Republicans have proposed responsible budgets, only to debate our actual written plan against speeches and abstract platitudes from the Democrat Party. That is why we appreciate the fact that Senate Democrats have finally presented a budget after four years of sitting on the sidelines – four straight years of not submitting a budget. Sadly, what they appear to have done is to dust off their tired old tax, borrow and spend agenda that has produced today’s stagnant economy and millions of Americans still without work.
First and foremost, the Senate Democrat plan is a federal budget that never, ever, comes into balance. That means they continue – forever – to spend more money than we have. The American people overwhelmingly support a balanced budget. They do so because they know a balanced budget results in better lives and more opportunity. So, one must wonder: are the Senate Democrats not listening or are they not up to the task?
The Senate Democrat budget raises taxes on the American people by more than $1 trillion, even after the federal government will take in a record level of revenue in 2013! They want to take more so that they can spend more in Washington. That is fundamentally unfair and irresponsible.
With all the additional taxes they envision, Senate Democrats do nothing to tackle the real drivers of our nation’s debt – the out-of-control and unsustainable spending here in Washington. Their plan reveals that they are unwilling or unable to make the difficult choices that responsible governing requires. Their plan would let those who are in need of assistance from programs like Medicare suffer the consequences of Washington inaction.
It is an outrage that after governing for four years without a budget, Senate Democrats have put forth a plan that enthusiastically endorses the exact same policies that are failing the American people. It will be interesting to learn which of the Senate’s 55 Democrats will vote for a plan that raises an additional $1 trillion in taxes, does nothing to stop the out-of-control spending binge, and lets programs like Medicare fail today’s seniors and tomorrow’s retirees.
For our part, House Republicans have developed a budget – The Path to Prosperity – which brings our budget into balance within a decade without raising taxes on hard-working Americans.
The House Republican budget is a responsible, balanced plan that honors our commitments to America’s most important priorities while finally solving our nation’s debt crisis. We save and strengthen Medicare, protect our national security, care for the poor and sick by repairing America’s “safety net” and foster economic opportunities for everyone.
Democrats will scoff at such a promise: to balance the budget in 10 years and to protect America’s vital programs without raising taxes. They will argue that it simply can’t be done and we are foolish for even trying. However, House Republicans are happy to let them in on our little secret: we balance our budget by not spending more than we have. This is precisely what every family and business must do – Washington should as well.
The American people have grown weary of politicians who govern from crisis to crisis. They are sick of the politics played with our economy and the undue panic inflicted on America’s families and job creators. That’s why our budget also puts an end to the Washington games that have for too long dominated fiscal policymaking. No more budget gimmicks. No more accounting tricks. No more wasteful spending.
Borrowing $3.8 billion every day and mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren is immoral, unjust and does real harm to our economy. House Republicans are presenting a serious plan to restore economic opportunity for our fellow Americans by balancing the budget. We know that in doing so, we can get our economy moving again and Americans back to work.
Rep. Tom Price represents Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget. He is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, as well as the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.