Gilbert Gutknecht: “how much is enough? The buzz in Washington is that the President is spoiling for one last fight with Congress over the…”

“how much is enough? The buzz in Washington is that the President is spoiling for one last fight with Congress over the budget. In fact, White House aides have practically encouraged suspicion that they would like a government shutdown to embarrass Republicans and boost Democratic prospects in the upcoming elections. Rumors of a government shutdown are greatly exaggerated. Congressional leaders are working in good faith to ensure principled compromise with the President on a budget that serves the national interest. Under our proposal, over $600 billion of publicly held debt would be paid down by the end of next year. It would be eliminated by the year 2013. Of course, reduced debt means lower interest rates on credit cards and home mortgages for millions of American families. The GOP debt reduction plan would also save an average of $4,064 for every American household in lower interest rates over the next 10 years. Since early last year, Congress has made its spending priorities very clear. As a member of the House Committee on the Budget, I helped craft a budget for next year in which Federal spending would grow at a rate slower than the average family budget. This budget passed the House and Senate. It serves as the blueprint for congressional spending bills this year. The President, on the other hand, will not say just how many billions of dollars he wants to spend.”