With a national debt soon to pass $16.5 trillion, and a habit of spending $3 billion more than we take in each day, the math simply does not allow Washington to continue financing our daily operating costs. These problems exist because formula-driven programs, often called mandatory spending, have grown faster than our economy for the last 15 years.
These programs now make up over 60 percent of total federal spending and consume nearly 85 percent of the nation's tax collections. Thankfully, numerous common sense proposals exist which would slow the growth rate of these programs, eliminate our deficit spending and allow us to achieve a balanced budget. I have supported a number of these proposals, including a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Unfortunately, the only deficit reduction law that leaders in Congress and the White House have set in motion has been a process called sequestration. This law will institute indiscriminate, across-the-board cuts to a key budget area that accounts for less than 20 percent of the total budget: our national defense.
Under this law, the most important national security programs will be cut at the same rate as the least important. The cuts amount to $500 billion in the defense budget over 10 years. This is in addition to the $487 billion in cuts agreed to previously as part of the Budget Control Act.
I recognize that defense savings will certainly be a part of any responsible spending reduction proposal, but there is a difference in responsible deficit reduction and national defense destruction. The disproportionate burden on our national defense leaves our country and our warfighters vulnerable to our enemies and leaves little room for our military leaders to prioritize and maintain mission readiness.
According to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, sequestration would hollow out our Air Force and greatly diminish our military capabilities. He is absolutely right. Put simply, sequestration would imperil our national security while doing little to change the long-term trajectory of federal spending.
Locally, sequestration would be harmful to Robins Air Force Base and Middle Georgia's economy, as it will impact all budget accounts, including those that fund the depot workload.
Sequestration makes little sense, since sustainment of our weapon systems is crucial to maintaining an efficient, effective and ready force. At Robins, skilled professionals ensure that we get the maximum return and performance from valuable weapons systems that protect our warfighters -- exactly what a responsible deficit reduction approach would protect and expand upon.
For all of these reasons, I voted against the legislation which enacted sequestration and have worked to undo it ever since. I have consistently advocated a responsible, common sense approach that protects Social Security and Medicare for hard working taxpayers who currently receive benefits as well as modest changes in the retirement age to secure benefits for those retiring more than five years from now.
We need a smaller federal government that focuses on the things Congress is constitutionally mandated to do, such as provide for a national defense. We can do this while protecting Social Security and Medicare if Washington will just have the courage to cut wasteful spending.
In such an approach, defense would play its part with measures that could achieve savings while avoiding the harm that would result from sequestration.
Potential solutions in the defense realm include expecting more financial contributions from our allies, evaluating foreign installations for realignment, putting greater emphasis on the sustainment of our current weapon systems, and returning to a routine appropriations cycle where our military commanders can plan and prioritize defense dollars.
The start of the sequestration process has been delayed in order to allow more time to negotiate a replacement.
This is a good sign that President Obama and others who insisted on the defense cuts in sequestration recognize the threat to our national security and are rethinking their approach. I will use this opportunity to continue to work to reach a plan that repeals sequestration and replaces it with common sense, meaningful solutions.
I am honored to represent the thousands of servicemen and women, veterans and defense civilian employees in Middle Georgia. I am confident that our community and our country will work together to ensure there will be brighter days ahead.
U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, represents Georgia's 8th District in the House of Representatives.
