Debt debate looked a lot different to Biden, GOP in 1984

Washington Times ^ | 7/19/11 | Stephen Dinan

[Nachum]

With time running out on a looming debt crisis, the president and his allies in the Senate are fighting to win a raise in the government’s borrowing limit, only to be stymied by a minority insisting that a spending freeze be part of the deal.

Sounds like present day, but it was October 1984 — when the partisan roles were reversed. Republicans controlled the White House and the Senate, while Democrats controlled the House. Democrats also could sustain filibusters in the Senate and were balking at raising the debt ceiling unless it was attached to big spending cuts

That year, Democrats defeated a debt-limit increase by voting it down in the Senate and forcing Republican leaders to send Air Force planes — at a cost of more than $4,000 in taxpayer money — to collect absent senators and rush them back to Washington for a revote that ultimately passed.

[Nachum]

Stand up Chuck! God luv ya.

[newzjunkey]

I wonder why it took until now for this historical perspective to come to light in the MSM.

[andyk]

This is a good article to see how the debate has advanced over the past 20-30 years. US debt as a percent of GDP, during the period the article describes, was less than half of what it is today. I’m sure that it seemed at the time that there was plenty of time to correct things. That is clearly not the case now.

[Principled]

Democrats also could sustain filibusters in the Senate and were balking at raising the debt ceiling unless it was attached to big spending cuts.

I've been around a while I do not not eva remember democrats standing for less spending.

[jeltz25]

Do you remember Bill Clinton? He stood for less spending.

Spending was 18% of GDP under Clinton. Down from what it was under Bush41, down from what it was under Reagan. And dems were fine with it.

You can say a lot about Clinton, but one area he gets credit on is spending. He was the best President on spending in recent history.

[SuziQ]

Democrats also could sustain filibusters in the Senate and were balking at raising the debt ceiling unless it was attached to big spending cuts

IIRC what Congress passed at the beginning of the Reagan presidency amounted to $1 in tax cuts for every $3 in spending cuts. The $1 in tax cuts caused an enormous jump in revenue in the 80s, but they reneged on the spending cuts. So a decade that saw record revenue saw even HIGHER spending, and it has never slowed. So anytime the Dems are in charge of spending cuts, you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll never happen.