A Letter to the “Super Committee”

Dear super committee,

How are you? I ask because, although you’ve been tasked with finding a way to trim the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade, you haven’t been that public about what you’ve been up to. So I thought I’d check in and offer some ideas.

Super committee, we need to talk. There are all these crazy rumors flying around town that you’re 1) doomed to failure and won’t achieve anything at all, 2) going to exceed expectations and cut up to $4 trillion from the federal deficit, or 3) only reducing the deficit by about $600 billion and leaving the rest for the next Congress to deal with. So it’s been a little hard to figure out what your final proposal, due to Congress the day before Thanksgiving, will look like. Allow me to make some suggestions.

First, any package must be balanced. None of this nonsense about cutting programs for the hungry, young, and weak — like food stamps or Head Start — while not even looking to bring in additional revenues from the most powerful or wealthiest. No sirree. Any package you come up with must include additional revenues, not additional hardships.

Second, your proposal should create capacity, not destroy it. While some people argue that Pell Grants for college students or job training for those whose industries have moved overseas is expensive, think about how much human potential we would lose if we didn’t provide these opportunities. Your proposal should recognize that certain dollars spent today can create hundreds of dollars for our economy in the future. You shouldn’t risk our country’s capacity for greatness by cutting this funding.

Finally, the proposal should honor the commitments we’ve made to one another. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are promises that we’ve made as a society — no one will starve or die because they’re too poor or old. It’s that simple, and your proposal needs to recognize that and leave these programs alone.

I hope these suggestions help. These are tough budgetary times, and you’re facing difficult decisions. But this argument isn’t just about numbers; it’s about who we are and who we want to be as a country. I, for one, urge you to create a sensible, balanced proposal that allows our economy to grow and lets Americans live in dignity and prosperity.

Best,

Beth