BUSH MUST ACT NOW AGAINST THE DEFICIT

by Richard Falknor

January 8, 2004

Richard Falknor is the executive vice president of the Maryland Taxpayers Association, Inc. Falknor is a veteran of the professional staff of the U. S. House and Senate. He has served as a policy aide in the Department of Transportation and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Federal spending has increased alarmingly during this Administration on programs and projects wholly unrelated to our national defense. H. R. 2673, an omnibus money bill which, conservative experts declare, will increase discretionary spending by nine percent in 2004, awaits only expected Senate approval toward the end of this month, then presumably the president’s signature.

Current spending levels, and projected entitlement payments under the new Medicare prescription drug legislation threaten the permanency of the president’s tax cuts, any future tax cuts, national productivity and thus the prosperity of ordinary families.

What therefore is to be done?

This month, the president should have his budget arm prepare a list of obvious pork in H.R. 2673 irrespective of the party or position of the frivolous project’s congressional sponsor. The White House should release the list. The president should notify the Congressional leadership that he will veto this appropriations bill unless these projects are removed.

While the deletion of such Congressional pork will not, of itself, solve our deficit, reform of entitlements such as Medicare must wait until the president has a working majority in the U. S. Senate and until this election year has passed.

But a strong and obviously even-handed stand against Congressional raids on taxpayer money, taken even before the State of the Union address, sends a clear message to Wall Street and Main Street that the Administration is serious about reining in Federal spending.

The White House might also consider proposing the deletion of any Federal Election Commission funds that could be used to enforce the clearly unconstitutional provisions of the campaign laws that limit political advertising critical of current office holders. If the Supreme Court will not protect our First Amendment rights, the other two branches of government must meet their obligation to do so.

The Administration must also come to grips with the enormous economic threat of the just-enacted Medicare prescription drug benefit. 2005 might be the time to improve the drug benefit for the truly needy while deferring the very expensive coverage of those now covered by private plans. Many of these plans are superior to the just enacted Medicare prescription drug benefit scheduled to go into force in 2006.

The president’s leadership against Islamist threats and allied rogue states is what stands between us and the abyss. His defense of Judaeo-Christian values, as a sitting president, against a high tide of secularism is truly a gift to the American people.

But in addition to his performance as military commander in chief, the president cannot forget his role as chief legislator. He must no longer leave the so-called details of major legislation solely to Congressional leadership, and to the plethora of private advocates who prey on the taxpayers’ money.

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