Congressman Himes Targets Federal Deficit

If U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) were a betting man, he’d put the odds in favor of a government shut down come April 8.

“This individual here believes there is a greater than 50 percent chance of a government shut down,” Himes said, pointing to himself during a Town Hall Meeting on the budget in Westport on Saturday.

To stop it, both parties must compromise regarding taxes and spending cuts. Right now the Republicans are offering about $61 billion in cuts and the Democrats are offering about $20 billion. But the problem is, neither side is discussing the costliest slices of the government pie. 

“It’s a deeply dishonest discussion,” Himes told the standing room only crowd at the Westport Public Library.

It’s disingenuous he said because both sides, and citizens nationwide only talk about 1 percent of the federal budget that Congress votes on – earmarks and foreign aid. But the real spending comes from defense spending, entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, as well as non defense spending including the court system, transportation, and education.

Himes praised Republican Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for offering up $150 million in defense spending cuts.

“With the budget pressing nationally and locally, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of spending taxpayers money,” said Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff when welcoming Himes.

The good news is the United States still is the world’s leading economy. The bad news, it won’t remain so if the people and the government don’t sit down have a serious, honest discussion, said Himes during power point presentation.

“Collectively we want it all,” Himes said. “We want the best education, the best roads, to fight the terrorists, the best health care. And oh, we want really, really low taxes. You don’t get all that…and that’s why this is a very complicated problem.”

 The nation currently carries a $14 trillion debt. The combination of the 2001-2008 tax cuts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, the stimulus, and prescription drug benefit caused the deficit, Himes said.

Yet the debt pales in comparison to the twin problems of Social Security and Medicare. Social Security represents $8 trillion and Medicare represents $31.82 trillion of the debt. Both sectors of the budget need reform.

Himes has repeatedly said – during his campaign and in the months following his re-election to a second term – that social security is far easier to deal with. Possible solutions include increasing the retirement age for some workers and raising the cap.

“It’s arguably the most successful social program in the history of people,” Himes said, adding that because of social security the poverty rate among the elderly is below ten percent.

To move the economy forward need to seriously engage in tax reform, invest in education and infrastructure, and make spending cuts. Congress should also seriously consider some of the recommendations of Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. The two co-chair the president’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Among other things, the Bowles-Simpson report favors curbing mortgage interest deduction, raising the retirement age to 69, and raising the gasoline tax to 15 cents per gallon. It also wants Congress to overhaul the tax code.

Bridgeport resident Steve Miller took issue with all those ideas. He called Social Security a Ponzi scheme and the Bowles-Simpson proposal a con job.

 “If we don’t fix this quickly we’re not on thin ice, we’re on no ice,” Miller said.

Miller was one of more than 30 people, from Westport to Redding, who lined up to comment and question after Himes’ presentation.

 Himes told the crowd the nation must invest in infrastructure and education, particularly science and math, if it’s to regain its footing.

 “We are falling behind in infrastructure investment,” Himes said.

The U.S. spends about half of what Russia spends on infrastructure, less than 25 percent of what China spends, and between 33 percent and 40 percent of what Western Europe spends, according to the World Bank. That means the nation ranks 15th in infrastructure spending.

 It would cost $2 trillion, to bring infrastructure back to where it needs to be, Himes said.

And while the afternoon zeroed in on budget issues, the afternoon briefly digressed when one man took the microphone. After a preamble of how he embraced all nationalities and races he said “there is one issue more important than the economy and that is the question of Obama’s birth certificate.”

 The room erupted in boos.

Correction: Steve Miller was incorrectly identified as a Westport resident.