The U.S. Senate has failed to put some teeth in what seems to be a lot of proselytizing on the religion of fiscal restraint.
The Senate voted 53-46 to establish a budget commission that would recommend a budget to reduce the national debt and deficit. The measure needed 60 votes to pass. The proposal would require Congress to take an up or down vote on the commission’s budget recommendation, thereby removing the incentive for members to avoid politically tough, but fiscally necessary votes.
The failure to establish the commission whose proponents say could impose fiscal restraint where Congress can’t is particularly disappointing because the yes votes were from Democrats and Republicans. It was a truly bipartisan vote with 36 Democrats, 16 Republicans and one independent supporting the measure.
The senators halting this proposal included Republicans who worried it would make it easier to raise taxes and Democrats who worried it would make it easier to cut programs like Medicare and other favorite programs, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The vote shows that even solid ideas to get a handle on spending will be opposed by those favoring special interests and will be opposed by members of both parties.
— The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
