The Bergner 3-part GOP plan to spur growth, reduce entitlements, fight on Obamacare, and get the government under control

Ryan Streeter

Can congressional Republicans act boldly without creating self-defeating impasses? Jeff Bergner answers "yes" in Today's Standard and goes a step further with a compelling and doable agenda. He writes: 

The challenge before the Republicans is to fashion a legislative agenda combining boldness and prudence, a set of principled policy reforms that commands public support. Republicans need an agenda that is both radical and popular (as opposed to the Obama agenda, which was radical and unpopular). 

The Bergner Plan goes as follows:

1. Pass appropriations bill that takes us back to 2008 non-defense discretionary levels. He writes, "If we are unable to cut deeply into spending, we cannot balance the federal budget. Even massive tax increases could not squeeze enough out of the taxpayers to do this. If we do not act promptly to cut spending, we will inevi-tably be forced to move to a brand new type of tax, a value added tax, to be superimposed on the income tax."

2. Drive through a two-item policy fix. Hit the two biggest issues that voters want solid action on:

• Healthcare: repeal and nitpick. Go for an aggressive repeal, knowing it will get vetoed, to lay down the public marker and then start working on repeal of individual items.
• Close the borders. Get at what drives voters crazy - namely, we haven't been able to protect our borders from illegal entry. And then don't fuss too much about deportation. Let those people already here stay here. Stop waiting for "comprehensive legislation" before tackling problem number one: the borders.

3. Push hard on 3 structural reforms.   

• Implement a pro-growth agenda. He writes, "Simplify and reduce tax rates for individuals; cut the corporate tax rate to a level competitive with other advanced democracies; and reduce capital gains tax rates to encourage and reward investment."
• Reform the federal government. Freeze government pay to bring salaries in line with the poorer private sector and bring overly generous benefits in line with the private sector.
• Reduce federal payments to individuals. Begin talking about "intergenerational justice" with the public, invite Democrats to join an entitlement review commission, and implement pilot programs allowing experimentation with private accounts.

This is a solid list. The third, three-part point strikes me as the most challenging. Each of the bullets is a political slog-fest, but I agree that the GOP should give them its all in the next session. 

And Bergner's one soft-sounding item, intergenerational justice, may actually be the most important point for Republicans. The left succeeded in alarming the world about what would happen to "our children" if we didn't change lightbulbs, recycle, and keep the tires inflated.

It seems to me that the reality of our unsustainable fiscal path is sinking in, but the reality of what is required of each of us and what our options are for helping reforms succeed has not. There is a lot of room to build a movement on this front. 

Comments

[Standish]

I agree with most of this article... with the exception of the notion that after securing the border we should simply allow the illegal aliens to remain in this nation.
We are a nation of laws. This means that we hold the law in high regard. We do NOT allow people to ignore the law or willfully shatter the law and then reward them for that action. Those who willfully shatter existing federal immigration law demonstrate a complete disregard for the rule of law and a clear disdain for the rights of the citizens and legal immigrants of this nation. This is an unacceptable and intolerable condition.
Enforcement of existing federal immigration law, fully and consistently, is necessary and would cause MOST of the 11-20 million illegal aliens currently at large in this nation to self deport. The remainder could easily be apprehended and deported through consistent enforcement of existing federal immigration law.
Illegal aliens contribute about $13 billion per year to the U.S. economy according to the federal government. These figures are readily available on a site called FAIR. We SPEND about $113 billion per year on social services for illegal aliens. he myth that illegal aliens make a vital contribution to this nation IS just a myth.
The notion that they are doing jobs that 'Americans won't do" is insulting to the American people, particularly when we have 26 million people unemployed with no end in sight. There are an estimated 8 million illegal aliens holding full time American jobs today. These jobs are NOT all in agriculture or meat packing as some would like to suggest. Only about 2% are actually in agriculture. The bulk of these jobs are in hotels. restaurants, resorts, hospitals, mechanics, the construction trades, and retail.
Enforcement of existing federal immigration law is vital for yet another reason beyond the illegal aliens themselves. This country is experiencing a movement by urban areas to ignore federal law when it is convenient for them to do so. IT began with the 'sanctuary' cities and their decision to ignore federal immigration law. It is rapidly spreading into other areas like federal drug laws as evidenced by the several states that have 'legalized' medical marijuana despite it still being a federal offense. Now California has made possession and use of less than an ounce the same as a traffic ticket with a $100 fine and no record and a ballot measure was brought which failed to 'legalize' possession and growing of marijuana. Clearly this trend cannot be allowed to continue. All federal funding should be cut to the 'sanctuary' cities until there is full and vigorous compliance and enforcement of existing federal immigration law.