How about we cut the scope of the government to put it back into it’s constitutional role in America?
Chopping and trimming at “entitlements” (I take it Pawlenty is referring to stealing Social Security and Medicare - benefits Americans and their employers paid into all their working lives) is not going to solve the problem of our massive government nor it’s out of control spending.
It would be nice if Pawlenty respected the constitution. Being a Rino, he’s never thought about it.
You are missing the point: it’s “entitlements” that consume about 60% of the federal budget. Year after year after year. They are the legacy of FDR and LBJ.
The Framers never heard of either FDR or LBJ, so I’m not sure how the programs they started in the last century fit into the original intent of the Constitution limiting the powers of the federal government. I suspect the Framers would be appalled at what has come to be considered “provid[ing] for the ... general welfare.”
Congress got itself into a bind by making “entitlements” untouchable. That has to change. It cannot be sustained without driving the country’s economy over the cliff.
“Entitlements” include SS, Medicare, Medicaid, and all the welfare programs, food/shelter, etc. They have to be brought under control. And it’s about time someone came out and said so.
Virtually everything about the SS program is arbitrary: the limit on earned income that’s taxed for SS/Medicare, how much SS pays out, how one qualifies, the age when one can start to collect, how and when SS income can be taxed, and on and on.
I’ve read that the average SS recipient collects in 4.5 years what s/he paid into the program over his/her working years. How can that NOT be a Ponzi scheme? That could well be considered ‘stealing’ from our children and grandchildren. I’m not willing to do that.
If the only thing the government did was pay for SS, Medicare, Defense and made minimum payments on the debt, it would cost about $2.9T. Our revenue is expected to bring $2.4T.
(millions)
Department of Defense-Military $723,703
Department of Health and Human Services $926,236
Interest on Treasury Debt Securities (Gross) $464,706
Social Security Administration $789,034