Opinion by Joe Manchin: Stop the political blame game and start cutting the debt
We can do this without threatening essential programs such as Medicare and Social Security or cutting defense spending at a time when we are grappling with the largest-scale land war in Europe since World War II and an emboldened China that blatantly violates our airspace and dominates global supply chains.
These are just a few ideas, and no doubt there are others that might prove more viable — if we choose to simply pause and listen to each other. Fortunately, history shows that progress is possible and that divided government can produce results. Between 1985 and 1997, Congress enacted multiple, mostly bipartisan, reforms that led to a balanced budget in 1998 for theIt will not be easy, but now is the time for President Biden and our congressional leaders to come together and have an honest, open and public discussion about what we can and must do in the best interest of our nation. Failure is not an option.
Regardless of our party affiliation, we all have a responsibility to rise above the politics of the moment — especially during times like these. And when it comes to an issue as serious as the national debt, I am guided by the words of my grandfather, who liked to say, “Unmanaged debt will lead you to make cowardly decisions.”
Those words stuck with me as I grew older, got married, started a family, built my own small business and went into public service. As governor of West Virginia, I held weekly budget meetings to ensure our government was living within its means, just like every family around every kitchen table across America. With our debt now standing at $31.4 trillion, we as elected leaders must have the courage to work together and act.
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