To be specific, Mr. Obama lied when he threatened on July 12 that there wouldn't be enough money to send out Social Security checks on August 3 if the debt ceiling isn't raised.
The federal government receives more than $200 billion in tax revenue a month. Interest on federal debt per month is $29 billion. Social Security costs per month are about $49 billion. Medicare and Medicaid about $50 billion. Active duty military personnel and veterans programs some $2.9 billion each. Those monthly costs add up to around $134 billion - which leaves $66 billion per month left over.
The problem is - and get ready for this - the federal government is spending $108 billion more than it takes in every month now. The CBO estimates are that Washington spent $973 billion more, which means borrowed, than it received for the first nine months of FY2011. The Demagogues are digging the hole we're in $108 billion deeper every month - and they say the only way out is to keep digging and borrowing more!
I say no. I say this has to stop. Which is why I must admit I am keenly disappointed by my fellow Republicans in the House leadership, whom I feel have been suckered into a red herring trap on this.
They keep proposing ridiculous alternatives to Mr. Obama's impossibly destructive demand to raise both the debt ceiling and taxes - such as "entitlement reform," and agreeing to raise the debt ceiling by trillions right now in exchange for what Congressman Allen West appropriately terms "fairy dust" cuts in spending years from now.
I feel what they need to insist on is spending reform right now. As we saw in the numbers above, this requires the following actions by the House:
*Refusing to raise the debt ceiling. (Remember that only the House has the Constitutional authority to raise it, or indeed to authorize any and all spending by the federal government.)
*Specifying that the approximately $200 billion in monthly federal revenues be first spent as itemized above (debt interest payment, Social Security, et al).
*Negotiating with Mr. Obama on how the remaining some $66 billion in monthly revenues should be prioritized. This is the only discussion the House leadership should be having with Mr. Obama.
The discussion should go something like this. Mr. Obama, you've been spending $174 billion a month beyond the most essential priorities of debt service, Social Security, etc., and as of next month, you'll only have $66 billion. As Commander-in-Chief, a most basic responsibility of yours is to provide for the national defense, so a significant fraction of that $66 billion must go to the Pentagon. How do you propose to spend what's left, realizing that a majority of the House has to agree?
These talks should be held on the floor of the
House for all to see.