A budget that’s more than numbers

by Allyson Schwartz

JENKINTOWN—When I was sworn in as a member of Congress in 2005, I reached out to secure a committee position on the House Budget Committee. I did so because I understood then, as I do today, that budgets are of critical importance. The federal budget is not abstract numbers on pages—it is a reflection of our priorities and values, and of the America we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.

Congress recently passed, with strong margins, the budget for fiscal year 2010.

The budget proposed by President Obama, and modified by the Democratic Congress, is an economic map which establishes the amount of money that Congress is authorized to spend in this year’s appropriations bills. The budget does not set spending levels for specific programs, nor does it change current law.

The budget looks forward, but it must be understood how we got to where we are today.

President Bush came into office in January 2001 with a record surplus of more than $100 billion. During his two terms in office he enacted reckless economic policies and used budgeting sleight of hand to hide the true costs to taxpayers. These policies resulted in a record deficit of $5.8 trillion; a doubling of the national debt; tripling of the amount of the debt owed to foreign countries; and an economic recession the likes of which most of us have never seen our lifetimes.

allyson schwartz A budget thats more than numbers The fact is that President Obama and Congress are dealing with enormous challenges, and that is why it was imperative that we passed a strong, forward-thinking, responsible budget.

Our budget establishes a new fiscal framework, including a long-overdue return to honest budgeting and fiscal responsibility. The budget embraces President Obama’s goals to rebuild our economy, and it makes strategic, targeted investments in the areas—healthcare, energy, and education—that are paramount for our nation’s future economic prosperity and security. It is essential that we tackle the annual deficit, and we have laid out an ambitious marker by committing to cut the deficit in half in five years.

First and foremost, as part of honest accounting practices, the budget plans for spending in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for domestic natural disasters, for tax relief and obligated entitlements.

Through the economic recovery and reinvestment plan, Congress has already taken significant measures to grow our future economic well-being. The budget builds on our work by making investments in three core areas: education, energy independence and health care.

Each of these three areas requires we reach common ground, so the budget ensures that we enable Congress to define the specific means and the specific ways we in which accomplish these goals.

To compete in the 21st-century global economy, we need an educated, skilled workforce of the future. This budget puts resources in early childhood initiatives, in basic education for K-12, and better enables Americans to afford to go to college with student loans, grants and tax credits.

Our economic and national security also depend on America becoming energy independent. This budget sets aside a revenue-neutral reserve fund which calls on Congress to find a way towards energy independence through alternative, home-grown, cleaner fuels and energy efficiency.

We have a moral and an economic responsibility to find a uniquely American solution to health care reform. This budget sets aside a revenue-neutral reserve fund with reconciliation language to ensure that Congress contains the unsustainable costs in the public and private sectors by improving quality and efficiency. And it calls on Congress to find a way to extend access to meaningful, affordable health coverage to all Americans. This goal, shared by many Americans, is within our reach if we work together.

Pennsylvania families and businesses need Congress and President Obama to work together to respond to their concerns, and that is exactly what we did with this budget.

As President Obama prepares to sign the budget into law in the next few weeks, I am confident that this is just one more step forward toward a stronger, more prosperous and reinvigorated America.

The writer is a Democrat representing the 13th Congressional District and Vice-Chair of the House Budget Committee.