@soup-can
If the Left supported this, it would be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
This is a very good point. But it is something I always say about the Democrats, as opposed to the Republicans — they stand united much better in their opposition to policy, just as they do in support of their candidates.
So, it depends on whether you look at it strictly from an economical viewpoint or if you include a philosophical viewpoint as well.
Historically, the Republicans do their tax cuts with the full ‘anticipation’ that they will be followed with sending cuts. Alas, the spending cuts never materialize.
You can argue the reasons for this. But one posited reason is that cutting spending after tax cuts can be spun as desperation, or a sign of failure. Therefore, some of the sentiment is that they decide to ‘spend’ to garner votes.
You saw this with the first year of Reagan, GWB, and Trump.
But the sense of ‘hypocrisy’ is not completely as clear as it seems. For one, the initial budget is already preset. This should be able to be changed (but this is another issue).
Then when tough times come like a Recession or a Pandemic — the fortitude to stick to ‘the plan’ is not there for Republicans.
There is always a call for Congress to ‘compromise’. This is always code from Democrats for Republicans to concede and the Republicans always cave in. Most of this because they will not stand united like the Democrats will do — they rarely ‘compromise’.
Like one guy said: “Republican deficient hawks did not disappear during Trump’s term; they went into exile.”
Of course, there are issues with bucking your own party’s President’s requests, etc.
But now with Trump’s ‘advisers’ with this new board looking into government waste and ways to cut, there may not be a problem in their own party. But the Republicans will have a very difficult time convincing Democrats to ‘compromise’ on spending cuts.
For example, look at the way the media and Left were criticizing the Republicans spending during the Pandemic Recession. The Democrats ‘urged’ the spending and then turn around and accuse them of being ‘irresponsible’ on spending.
You see this on a smaller scale anytime something like this happens.
Then anytime they attack the Republicans for NOT sticking to their plans to cut — they accuse them of being ‘mean’ for wanting to cut programs that they deem ‘untouchable’. This is not even the ones that even the Republicans see that way —Medicare, SS, etc.
On the other hand, it cannot be dismissed how bad the Democrats are on the deficit AND the lack of fortitude from the Republicans to constrain them.
All of this does not address the economic cycles that the country is in at the time that brings the deficit down some. For example, the reduction that Obama is often credited with was already baked into the budget.
This was the same with Biden, for example. No way it was ever going to stay at $3T post Pandemic Recession spending, etc.
But you are very correct that it would be very nice if both parties in Congress would come together to do this.
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