Tasked with one goal, to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion, the Super Committee announced Monday that it had failed. Senator Bob Corker from Tennessee summed up the failure well, calling it “nothing short of an embarrassment, an absolute national disgrace and failure of leadership.” After the failure, Congress is already backtracking on its plan for automatic cuts. The cuts are supposed to take effect in 2013, if not repealed before then.
Phil Kerpen, VP for Policy of Americans for Prosperity, wrote on August 2, “Senate Democrats have failed to pass a budget for 825 days and counting, violating the 1974 Budget Act that requires an annual budget.” Republicans abetted the dereliction of duty in the Senate by agreeing to the Super Committee deal. Kerpen goes on to write, “Now, thanks to the provisions of the debt ceiling deal, they can get away with extending their irresponsibility streak through the next election and into 2013. Senate Democrats will now go fully four years without passing a budget.” It has now been 938 days since the Senate Democrats passed a budget.
Don’t think the negligence has been contained to the legislature. As you can see in the video below, the president pledged back in 2009 that he would halve the budget deficit “that [he] inherited” during his first term. Presumably he was referring to the $1.4-trillion fiscal 2009 budget. That then would equate to reigning in the deficit to $700 billion per year. During the president’s term in office, not a year has gone by without deficits larger than $1.1 trillion. It’s safe to say he has failed in his pledge.
Just how bad has this do-nothing government gotten? Here’s a sign: Chris Matthews, formerly an open fan of President Obama, recently asked, “Is this it? Is this as good as it gets?” It would appear so.
