Wicker: Big Challenges Loom as Obama Begins Second Term
Americans Are Ready for Leadership and Solutions
January 21, 2013
Every four years, hundreds of thousands of Americans gather on the National Mall in Washington to witness the public swearing-in of the President and Vice President of the United States. The inauguration ceremony reaffirms the strength of our democracy with the orderly beginning of a new presidential term. We are reminded that our Constitution has endured since George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789.
The majesty of the moment, however profound, cannot mask the enormous challenges, from high unemployment to unprecedented federal debt, facing us as President Obama begins his second term. Only a few weeks from now, the federal government will once again reach its debt limit, raising questions on whether the government will make good on its financial obligations. On March 1, harmful defense cuts are set to go into effect that could negatively impact our national security. Shortly after, the government faces a shutdown unless funding for federal programs is reauthorized. Americans are right to demand leadership and responsible action.
The upcoming debt ceiling debate will be one of the first tests of the President’s second term. Raising the government’s legal debt limit requires congressional approval, and President Obama has made it clear that he expects more borrowing power without any spending reform. Past votes to raise the debt limit have incorporated measures for deficit reduction, including the Budget Control Act that the President signed into law in 2011. As many Republicans have insisted, the same approach should be used now.
The President’s stated refusal to negotiate a debt-ceiling increase with spending cuts misses an important opportunity to work with Congress on sensible deficit reduction. If we do not address Washington’s out-of-control spending, America will continue to rack up massive deficits, and the debt crisis will worsen. This is the fifth time the debt limit has needed an increase since President Obama took office. In the meantime, the federal debt has grown to $16.4 trillion.
As a new member of the Senate Budget Committee, I am ready to work on a budget that confronts the country’s debt problem and puts America on a sustainable financial path. In a recent letter to committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), my Republican colleagues and I have proposed a schedule for producing a budget resolution this year. Although an annual budget is required by law, Senate Democrats have failed to pass a budget resolution in more than 1,350 days.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats seem as determined as the President to avoid the tough decisions that could reduce the debt in the long term. Leader Reid even suggested that President Obama bypass Congress altogether and use executive power to raise the debt ceiling. The maneuver would undermine the legislative branch’s constitutional authority and challenge the separation of powers at the bedrock of our democracy.
Both political parties have acknowledged that a default on the government’s financial obligations would have negative consequences. The question at hand is whether the reality of today’s excessive borrowing will prompt future spending restraint.
The majority of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. They have grown weary of political brinkmanship and tactics that only kick the can down the road. In the week before his second inauguration, the President’s unfortunate rhetoric toward Congress set a combative tone regarding the budget decisions ahead. That should change if President Obama is serious about solutions. The action that follows his inaugural address will be a true measure of leadership.
The majesty of the moment, however profound, cannot mask the enormous challenges, from high unemployment to unprecedented federal debt, facing us as President Obama begins his second term. Only a few weeks from now, the federal government will once again reach its debt limit, raising questions on whether the government will make good on its financial obligations. On March 1, harmful defense cuts are set to go into effect that could negatively impact our national security. Shortly after, the government faces a shutdown unless funding for federal programs is reauthorized. Americans are right to demand leadership and responsible action.
$16.4 Trillion in Debt
The upcoming debt ceiling debate will be one of the first tests of the President’s second term. Raising the government’s legal debt limit requires congressional approval, and President Obama has made it clear that he expects more borrowing power without any spending reform. Past votes to raise the debt limit have incorporated measures for deficit reduction, including the Budget Control Act that the President signed into law in 2011. As many Republicans have insisted, the same approach should be used now.
The President’s stated refusal to negotiate a debt-ceiling increase with spending cuts misses an important opportunity to work with Congress on sensible deficit reduction. If we do not address Washington’s out-of-control spending, America will continue to rack up massive deficits, and the debt crisis will worsen. This is the fifth time the debt limit has needed an increase since President Obama took office. In the meantime, the federal debt has grown to $16.4 trillion.
As a new member of the Senate Budget Committee, I am ready to work on a budget that confronts the country’s debt problem and puts America on a sustainable financial path. In a recent letter to committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), my Republican colleagues and I have proposed a schedule for producing a budget resolution this year. Although an annual budget is required by law, Senate Democrats have failed to pass a budget resolution in more than 1,350 days.
Sidestepping Tough Decisions
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats seem as determined as the President to avoid the tough decisions that could reduce the debt in the long term. Leader Reid even suggested that President Obama bypass Congress altogether and use executive power to raise the debt ceiling. The maneuver would undermine the legislative branch’s constitutional authority and challenge the separation of powers at the bedrock of our democracy.
Both political parties have acknowledged that a default on the government’s financial obligations would have negative consequences. The question at hand is whether the reality of today’s excessive borrowing will prompt future spending restraint.
Actions Louder Than Words
The majority of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. They have grown weary of political brinkmanship and tactics that only kick the can down the road. In the week before his second inauguration, the President’s unfortunate rhetoric toward Congress set a combative tone regarding the budget decisions ahead. That should change if President Obama is serious about solutions. The action that follows his inaugural address will be a true measure of leadership.
