Coburn: ‘On the Budget, Let’s Take Action Where We Agree’
On the Budget, Let’s Take Action Where We Agree
By Sen. Tom Coburn
July 29, 2013
A common mistake in politics is letting the perfect become the enemy of the good and the achievable. That has never been truer than with the deficit reduction debate in Washington.
For much of the past four years, I’ve been urging the president and both parties in Congress to pass a comprehensive deficit reduction plan — a grand bargain — that reforms our tax code, preserves our safety net programs and cuts billions in wasteful and duplicative spending. My ideal plan, as outlined in my Back in Black report, would be in the ballpark of $9 trillion in savings, which is twice what was recommended by Simpson-Bowles ($4 trillion) and more than the $2 trillion figure that is being discussed today.
I still believe such an agreement is both necessary and possible. The barrier has been, and continues to be, a lack of leadership in Washington. If the president, in particular, had the political will to pass a grand bargain, it could happen.
Unfortunately, that isn’t likely in the near term. If Congress and the administration follow their usual pattern, they will do nothing until the next crisis is upon us, which will most likely be hitting the debt limit late this fall or early winter.