This week, Senate Democrats are set to unveil their first budget proposal in four years. The big question is whether they’re going to get serious in addressing the nation’s debt problem. The alternative is to keep seeking political advantage by attacking the Republican proposal by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
For years, Democrats have been protecting the nation’s premier entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) from any meaningful reforms while advocating tax hikes on wealthier Americans. The inherent problem with this approach is a simple question of math. Republican budgets have acknowledged that major reforms of Medicare are needed to address the nation’s long-term fiscal imbalance if taxes are to remain at historical levels. Democrats have refused to admit that their vision of a generous welfare state requires tax hikes not only on the wealthy but also on the middle class — and perhaps on the poor as well.
