President Obama visited the Pentagon on Thursday to outline his plan for gutting our nation’s military. Obama’s vision makes America more vulnerable to foreign threats and leaves our armed forces less able to provide for the common defense. As we’ve previously illustrated, Obama has proposed significant reductions to the Pentagon’s budget. This week’s chart shows how sharply defense spending has dropped as a percentage of the total federal budget — currently well below its historical average despite ongoing operations overseas. The chart also debunks the myth that our Founding Fathers …
New polling data reveals that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire overwhelmingly believe the federal budget deficit is the most important economic issue facing the United States today. Despite the nation’s persistent high unemployment rate, voters in the two early-voting states chose the deficit by wide margins. The CNN/Time/ORC poll was conducted before and after Christmas with 999 registered Republicans in Iowa and a total of 1,508 adults in New Hampshire. The results, released Wednesday, paint a clear picture about what voters are thinking about heading into 2012. They also …
President Obama neglected to mention Millennials in his address to the nation Monday night. Ironic, since they are burdened with the responsibility of paying America’s debt. But that should come as no surprise. Young Americans are often overlooked in the political world. However, 18 to 29-year-olds have serious concerns about the future of our nation. A recent Generation Opportunity and the polling company, inc./WomanTrend study found, in priority order, young Americans believe that the national debt, increased dependency on foreign sources of energy, and America’s indebtedness to foreign powers have made …
President Obama and congressional leaders can’t seem to agree on any plan to avert a debt crisis. As the White House’s Aug. 2 deadline approaches, the House has adopted the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, while the Senate has floated a number of bad ideas. Earlier this year, The Heritage Foundation formulated its own plan called Saving the American Dream to fix America’s debt problem. It keeps spending low without raising taxes. Entitlement programs are the biggest driver of debt, so reforming them first will put us on a course to a …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. The Debt Ceiling and the Constitution – Stephen Moore Of Pork and Trade – Investor’s Business Daily In Search of a Silver Lining – Rea Hederman For Americas 99ers, jobs crisis is hard to escape – Alexandra Alper Federal budget mess: Six ways to fix it – Mark Trumball FHA delays foreclosures for unemployed – Amanda Seitz The government’s war on cameras – C.J. Ciaramella Congress considers “resetting” Russian relations – …
As Members of Congress limp out of Washington to face their constituents, it’s worth reviewing their accomplishments—or lack thereof. The most basic function of Congress is to manage the public purse. The most basic step in managing finances—whether of a family, a business, a state, or a nation—is to pass a budget identifying expected revenues and intended outlays. As per his responsibility, the President laid out his budget in great detail in January. For the first time in modern memory, the House of Representatives did not even attempt to pass …
George Orwell, it’s time to turn over in your grave. In Orwell’s world of double talk and upside down reality, few stories can rival one that took place this morning on National Public Radio (NPR). The show started out with a quote from Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, to the effect that the “biggest threat we have to our national security is our debt.” True enough. Out of control spending threatens to squeeze the discretionary part of the federal budget, of which defense is …
In the week leading up to the G-20 Summit in Toronto this weekend, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has added his voice to the growing discussion about the United States’ recession spending spree. In a response to President Obama’s call for further international recession spending, Schäuble stated “governments should not become addicted to borrowing as a quick fix to stimulate demand. Deficit spending cannot become a permanent state of affairs.” As if there were any doubt about the United States’ spending addiction, Heritage budget expert Brian Riedl explains, “the annual …
This upcoming Saturday, AmericaSpeaks, a non-partisan organization devoted to re-energizing democracy in the U.S., will hold a nationwide discussion on the federal budget and runaway spending in Washington. Americans with all viewpoints are encouraged to make their voices heard regarding this crucial aspect of America’s future. With the president’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in the throes of its own discussion on how best to tackle growing deficits, this opportunity could not come at a better time. To contribute effectively, citizens must understand the following: What’s the problem? …
Runaway government spending has been a vocal concern of the burgeoning Tea Party movement since its inception. But many average voters don’t know a lot about the federal budget and how it works, outside of the fact that it’s out of control. In this week’s Heritage in Focus podcast, Brian Riedl talks about his new report, Federal Spending by the Numbers, which breaks down the budget by program so you can learn about precisely how your tax dollars are being spent. Examples range from outrageous, like hundreds of thousands spent …
