The public supports a strong balanced budget amendment, such as S.J.Res. 10, which is co-sponsored by all 47 Senate Republicans and authored by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), 62 percent to 20 percent. Republicans recently announced that a vote will occur this month on a balanced budget amendment in both chambers.
Asked to choose between the three publicly proposed options for raising the debt limit, voters chose the Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge by more than 2-to-1 over the plan proposed by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), $2 trillion to $3 trillion in cuts for $2 trillion in increases, and by more than 5-to-1 over the “clean” debt limit increase, which is favored by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats and has no spending cuts or budget reforms.
The public believes two things: First, Congress must not continue to spend money without making fundamental, permanent changes — and cuts alone do not meet that test. Second, the Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge is supported by a majority of Americans, including Democrats.
These two messages need to be urgently sent to Capitol Hill.
The Congressional Budget Office recently forecasted a rapidly worsening fiscal crisis. It now projects that this year’s debt as a percentage of the gross domestic project is 70 percent, increasing to 109 percent by 2023 and 190 percent by 2035.
America’s fiscal situation is grave and deteriorating.
Bold reform that creates permanent change is required. We may never have this opportunity again.
Colin Hanna is president of Let Freedom Ring, which is a member of the Cut, Cap, Balance coalition and a 501(c)(4) public policy nonprofit organization.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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