Paul Revere is in his 20s, and is concerned about the impact of the growing national debt on his generation. Not much younger than when his namesake made his historic ride, he works in the wake of a tea party to warn his fellow patriots of impending doom - unless they exercise the courage to act now. He will be posting regularly at ConservativeHome on spending issues to encourage his fellow patriots to find that courage.
Freshmen Members of Congress often talk big and carry a small stick. Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) speak big and carry a gigantic stick. Since entering office earlier this month, both members have put forth legislation that would do great things for the conservative movement and America as a whole.
What are these drastic measures they wish to take? Paul is targeting $500 billion in spending (seen in some detail here) between now and the end of the 2011 fiscal year, and Toomey has put forth legislation that would allow the debt ceiling to stay in place while the Treasury prevents a meltdown for much of the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.
Paul’s ideas don’t even really touch health care or defense spending, and ignore Social Security spending, showing what just how much inefficient (immoral?) spending there is in our federal government. Hopefully, these will come in another bill. Toomey’s idea, meanwhile, proves the lie behind the liberal claim that conservative fiscal discipline will send America into default. Additionally, Toomey’s bill would dovetail nicely with Paul’s ideas; the (admittedly small-ish) RSC Spending Reduction Act cuts; Congressman Ron Paul’s audit efforts against the Federal Reserve; and Senator Coburn’s (R-OK) health care and defense spending efforts.
America is close to its financial tipping point. Toomey and Paul clearly intend to make the most of their first six years in Congress, the political consequences be damned, in order to save the country. I hope they continue to act like this — their ideas will be called "drastic," but we have to ask: can we afford NOT to push "drastic measures" such as these?
Comments