The United States Congress has hit a new low in irresponsibility. They haven't been held in high esteem for decades, but their current job approval rating of less than 25% begs the question: What does 25% of America see congress doing that is good? I am at a loss.
As bad a job as congress is doing, I wouldn't expect job approval to increase at all in the coming months. The reason is the current debate over spending, the deficit, the debt ceiling and future budgets. Instead of stepping up to solve problems, I see more and more congress people increasing their personal level of irresponsibility. The non-existent federal budget is their first area of irresponsibility.
Followers of Dave Ramsey know the first step to controlling personal finance is to do a monthly budget. As he says it, "Every month, on purpose, on paper". This exercise allows families to understand their income and obligations, and plan accordingly. For those who have serious debt problems or not enough income to make ends meet, a monthly budget is basic survival. Yet, our United States congress has not passed a budget since 2009 (for year 2010). Since a 2011 budget was never passed, the federal government has lived on continuing resolutions. These are nothing more than taking a loan out to pay the mortgage every few months. Not passing the budget is the first sign of increasing irresponsibility.
Next, enter representative Paul Ryan. Ryan has developed a budget plan that would put America back on the road towards fiscal solvency. It is a bold, courageous step that made him the target of big spenders on both sides of the aisle. Instead of debating Ryan's budget, or better yet, developing a budget proposal of their own, many in congress have taken the cowardly approach of just demonizing Ryan and supporters of the plan. President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Chuck Schumer have all claimed that Ryan's plan would "kill medicare", when in fact, Ryan's plan may be the only way to save medicare. Instead of putting forth their own plans, they merely criticize the Ryan plan.
The most recent sign of increasing irresponsibility is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's statement last week:
“There’s no need to have a Democratic budget, in my opinion,” Reid told the Los Angeles Times last week. “It would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage.” Instead, Reid wants to wait to see if the deficit-reduction meetings led by Vice President Biden bear any fruit. Before that, Reid wanted to wait for the Gang of Six — now nearly defunct — to come up with something.
So Harry believes it is okay for Congress to shirk their constitutionally mandated role of establishing a federal budget for the president to sign. There is only one reason he would say this. He would rather continue throwing rocks at other peoples proposal that open himself up to criticism of his own proposal. With leadership like this, I doubt that American will ever get its fiscal house in order.
Here is what I expect for the near future. Democrats will amp up the "Republicans want to kill medicare" rhetoric. They will repeat it until many believe it is true. Nothing will be done to save medicare. Medicare will eventually collapse under the cost of the program. I only hope it does not take the American economy with it. Democrats will then claim that Republican killed medicare. The sad part is that many will believe them.
