Budgets Set Our Priorities
Last week the President laid out his plans in the annual State of the Union address. In the coming weeks, the President will submit a budget for the year and Congress will begin to debate it. Budgets are about priorities and this is where the hard work of balancing our nation's budget should begin.
Washington has never been particularly good at sticking to its budget. As author William Feather said, "a budget tells us what we can't afford, but it doesn't keep us from buying it." In fact, the federal government has run a budget deficit in 47 of the last 52 years.
The United States has not always been a debtor nation. After buying the Louisiana Purchase and fighting the War of 1812, the country focused on fiscal responsibility. In 1834, Andrew Jackson paid off the national debt in its entirety.
Just like in your home, you cannot control spending unless you have a budget and stick to it. That's why its concerning that the United States Senate has not passed a budget in over 1,000 days. Not surprisingly, the last three years have produced the three largest deficits in American history.
Before we can even dream of paying off our $15 trillion in debt, we have to balance our budget. I urge the Senate to put politics aside and actually pass a budget this year. We need to make tough choices and debate our government's priorities. But we should only buy what we can afford.
Sincerely,
