LETTER: The national debt
Imagine the outrage that would ensue among Republicans if a Democratic U.S. House majority passed a bill that included a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase so that new social spending programs could be enacted.
Although they are not proposing increased social program spending, House Republicans have approved such a mammoth increase in the debt ceiling so that they may pay for the extension of tax cuts targeted mainly to those at the top.
Reputable economic forecasters differ only in the amount of national debt that will be tacked on if the improperly named “Big, Beautiful Bill” passes the Senate and is signed into law. All agree that it is in the trillions. The Trump administration says, “Don’t believe the economists, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, or the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; believe us! Our legislation will reduce the debt because we say so”!
The country now pays more to service the national debt than it allocates to defense, and the problem will be getting worse even without a mammoth increase in debt that would result from the legislation.
We see once again that the only time a party is concerned about the burgeoning and unsustainable national debt is when a president of the opposing party is in office.
Enjoy it while it lasts. The days of creating new seas of red ink are surely numbered.
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township