If I was running for Congress...

Written as of 10/11/14:

From time to time I think I should run for Congress.  Not so much because I think I would (or could) win, but because I believe I could add greatly to a meaningful debate. 

If I were running in one of the key Senate races in 2014 I would make sure that voters understood three items:

- The last year Congressional Democrats were responsible for a budget surplus was 1969!

- Despite approaching $18 trillion in debt, every Senate Democrat voted against a Balanced Budget Amendment in 112th session!

- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democrats are stopping necessary Social Security reforms from being enacted!

Here's some additional detail on the topics.

1969 Democrats Last Surplus:
Most Americans understand that spending must be controlled.  They've either practiced good financial management in their private lives or had to deal with the problems of growing and runaway debt.  Most states and local governments are restrained by law that requires them to balance their budgets.  So pointing out how Democrats have not only failed to control the Nation's budget, but have actually promoted deficit spending will make sense.

To assign responsibility for budgets, one must understand that the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse.  And the primary responsibility was assigned to the House of Representatives.  Presidents propose a budget and can veto budget bills, but Congress passes the bills that control our country's revenues and outlays.  So looking to which party controlled the House when budgets were passed is key to understanding the responsibility for our budget performance.

Since 1969, we've had 45 budgets (1970 - 2014).  Democrats controlled the House when 30 of those 45 budgets were passed.  (1970 - 1995 budgets (26), 2008 - 2011 budgets(4)).  (There is a one year delay.  i.e. the 1995 Budget was passed in 1994.)  Each of those budgets finished with a deficit. 

While Democrats claim they are for fiscal responsibility, their actions prove otherwise.

Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA):
Our Nation's debt will reach $18 trillion by the end of calendar year 2014.  One of the potential ways of controlling this is something that many states have in place called a Balanced Budget Amendment to our Constitution.

While Democrats claim they're for fiscal responsibility and balancing the budget, their votes on BBAs tell a different story.  Most of the Senate Democrats currently up for election were in office during the 112th session and had the opportunity to vote on a bill that would have sent a BBA to the states for ratification.  According to the National Journal's Almanac of American Politics each Democrat voted against the BBA bill, while each Republican voted for it.

But in some cases it is even more devious.  Sen. Mark Udall brags on his Senate website that he introduced a BBA bill, but when it came to voting for one, he voted "No". 

"That is why I introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require Congress to balance the federal budget each year."

That's very similar to what Sen. Torricelli did in the 90's.  He ran for the Senate seat in NJ promising to vote for a BBA, but in 1997 cast the deciding vote against a BBA bill.  The Concord Coalition issued a statement regarding the pending BBA that it hope would persuade Democrats to vote for it.  It almost worked.  Our National Debt was $5.2 trillion at the end of fiscal year 1996.  It will exceed $18 trillion by the end of 2014.



Delaying Social Security Reforms:



 
Despite repeated warnings from the Social Security Trustees, Democrats continue to say there is no need to make reforms to the Social Security program at this time.  Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid has gone so far as to say he won't consider reforms until 2031.  That's 15 years past the year that the Disability Trust Fund is projected to run out of money and only two years before the all the money is gone from the trust funds. 

 

Progressive Democrats are actually calling for an increase in benefits at a time when the WH OMB is projecting a substantial shortfall in SS Payroll Tax Receipts when compared to SS Outlays over the next 10 years.  The SS shortfall is projected to account for over 40% of the total deficit over that period.