Rubio, DeMint lead on response to debt crisis, president’s threats

President Barack Obama went for the populist jugular when he threatened retired non-union and  non-government-pension workers with a possible delay of social security checks.

Fiscal conservatives aren’t happy with the president and they are not happy with Sen. Mitch McConnell’s political solution that would cede to the president de facto control over the debt ceiling. McConnell may have good intentions but they are not in the best interests of the country or the taxpayer.

Despite the quagmire, two senators have emerged as leaders.

Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.) told CBS News he and other Republicans in the Senate and US House are “working an alternate plan [to Sen. McConnell’s] to raise the debt limit.” DeMint also said, “[T]his idea that Republicans will not vote to increase the debt limit is wrong."

Highlights of the DeMint-led plan include capping and cutting spending and having states decide about balancing the federal budget.

Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) did a guest stint on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, and placed responsibility for any holdups in social security on Obama’s shoulders.

Sen. Marco Rubio is shown here at his swearing in ceremony with wife Jeanette and vice-president Joe Biden. [From Sen. Rubio's Senate website]Rubio, whose mother relies on social security, said:
“Well, if they don’t get their Social Security checks, it’s because the President’s decided to do that, because we still have revenue coming in. Here’s the other thing I would say. If in fact the President holds up their checks for Social Security, and Medicare, and whatever else he wants to hold up to make his point, isn’t he admitting that all these programs are funded by deficit spending? Isn’t he admitting that all these programs are dependent upon borrowed money?”

Democrats in leadership positions have attacked Republicans for refusing to agree to a debt ceiling and tax increases.

However, all Democrats in the US Senate voted against a $3.7 trillion budget President Barack Obama  proposed. The vote was 97-0.

Democrats have neither proposed nor passed a budget although they have had more than 800 days to do so.

For most of that time period Democrats controlled both the executive and legislative branches of the US government. Republicans Rubio and DeMint appear to be approaching the issue from a rational standpoint that would help lift the burden of debt from future generations.

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/July 13, 2011)

Please help keep The US Report, an independent blog, online by using the PayPal link in the top right column to make a contribution.