‘America is going broke,’ says Rep. Frank Wolf
Rep. Frank R. Wolf told a Senate committee this week that it's imperative that a bipartisan commission be created to deal with the mounting national debt.
"I have never been more concerned about the future of our country," said Wolf, who represents Manassas, Manassas Park and part of western Prince William County. "America is going broke."
The Republican said that the federal government now owes a greater total in debts and commit-ments than the combined net worth of all Americans.
"The national debt is racing toward $12 trillion and growing at rates that haven't been matched since World War II," Wolf said at a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Budget Committee.
Add in "promises" for future entitlements, the congressman said, and every man, woman and child in America owes $184,000.
The financial situation could also cause the country to lose its ballyhooed AAA bond rating, which would make it more difficult to borrow money.
Borrowing itself brings its share of risks, too, Wolf said, as the nation's largest "bankers" are Japan, China and oil-exporting countries such as Saudi Ara-bia.
"Is it really a good idea to be so indebted to countries like Saudi Arabia, the home of the 9/11 terrorists, and communist China, which is spying on us, where human rights are an after-thought, and Catholic bishops, Protestant ministers and Tibetan monks are jailed for practicing their faith?" Wolf asked in his prepared remarks.
The lawmaker has submitted legislation to create a financial commission for the past three years.
This year, he and Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat, coauthored legislation to create the Securing America's Future Economy Commission Act.
It would create a bipartisan, 16-member commission to look at all federal spending.
"Everything—from entitlement spending to tax policy—would be on the table," Wolf said. "This is the only way to deal with the issue. If we go in saying, 'You can't touch this, you can't do that,' it will not work. Nothing should be pre-judged or pre-conceived."
Sen. Mark R. Warner, a Virginia Democrat who serves on the Budget Committee, agreed.
"That would defeat the purpose from before we'd even get started," the popu-lar former governor said at Tuesday's meeting.
After holding public hearings across the country, SAFE commissioners would develop recom-mendations Congress would be required to vote up or down.
The legislation is modeled after the military base closing process. A bipartisan group of more than 80 House members—including Rep. Robert J. Wittman, who represents southern Prince William—have co-sponsored it.
Wolf on Friday also tackled the thorny issue of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
He sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking the administration to rethink its notion of sending Gitmo detainees back to Yemen, which he termed a "growing haven for al-Qaida."
"These are dangerous individuals," Wolf wrote in his fourth such request since Oct. 1. "To release committed al-Qaida terrorists back to Yemen under these conditions would be an act of gross malfeasance that undermines the safety of the American peo-ple."
The legislator also noted that Yemen is home to radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, who influ-enced alleged Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan.
"If al-Aulaqi were able to have this impact on a U.S. Army major at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Fort Hood, what impact will he have on the newly freed detainees in Yemen?" Wolf asked.
Staff writer Jonathan Hunley can be reached at 703-369-5738.
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Reader Reactions
Willow703;
“Our military is already underfunded & understaffed. Where would you make further cuts?“
Underfunded and understaffed? Currently, we spend 41.5% of the entire world’s total on military defense - $607 Billion compared to $1464 Billion for the entire world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
Our military spending already accounts for 21% of our entire national budget.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Federal_Spending_-_FY_2007.png
Just where would you increase spending? Where do you expect to get more people to volunteer? Considering that so few of our “true patriotic Americans” - those who seem scream the loudest at tea party rallies, and are the most willing to run around in public packing loaded firearms - seem to want to actually serve our country through military service.
Maybe we should re-institute a mandatory national draft? No exemptions, unlike what we had during the Vietnam War? That sure would cut down on unemployment.
Ray,
We’ve provided arms & funding to THEIR insurgents in dozens of countries,including Afghanistan. Suppose we pull out, what will the Taliban do with the Afghanistan they will then control? How long will the present governments of Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, etc., then withstand the attacks of THEIR insurgents?
Our military is already underfunded & understaffed. Where would you make further cuts?
“Is it any wonder why these news publications are losing money and readership steadily?“
Yes, let’s look at this:
“News Corp. Loss Shows Trouble at Dow Jones “
“The News Corporation, the media empire controlled by Mr. Murdoch, said Thursday that it lost $6.4 billion in its second quarter as profit fell sharply at its television and movie units. The company also took a large write-down of $8.4 billion, about $3 billion of which reflected a decline in the value of the company’s newspaper unit, which includes Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. [...]“
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business/media/06news.html
And please, let’s talk about the current melt-down at that esteemed publication, the Washington (Moonie) Times:
“Moonie Times Collapsing”
“The Reverend Sun Myung Moon, leader of the Unification Church and King of Peace, owns the Washington Times, along with the UPI wire service, the New Yorker Hotel, a gun manufacturer, a large segment of the American sushi industry, and a couple members of congress.
[...]
The paper loses millions of dollars a year, but Moon never minded, as long as it fought communism and homosexuality in American society. But now Moon seems to think that maybe it is not serving its purpose [...]“
http://gawker.com/5402610/moonie-times-collapsing
“I have to wonder if Rep. Frank Wolf is willing to vote to end this war in Afghanistan, and making other cuts in military spending, as one means of reducing our budget deficit?“
Perhaps getting back on track to Ron’s original post - the question for all senators and congressmen is are they willing to reduce funding for their sacred cow agenda items?
One man’s pork is another man’s reelection fund. Pity the poor congressman who doesn’t deliver funding for ‘advanced F-98 radar systems’ to his home district as the Navy and Air Force move on to F-99 aircraft and scrap their fleets of F-98s.
As someone said earlier, we should mandate a 10% or 15% budget cut across the board in ALL AREAS of the federal government and let the agency management figure out how.
Pulling out of Afghanistan makes sense as I personally don’t believe a ‘war’ can be won there. America should do what we do best and that is to offer arms and funding to THEIR insurgents and let them duke it out on their own soil.
Funny how we like to forget we propped up Saddam during his war with Iran or backed the Taliban during their tussle with the Soviets .... but its what we’re good at - and far less expensive than having our own boots on the ground.
Figures quoted here are almost as funny as the quoted total costs for the Iraq War by the New York Times and other sordid daily news publications. Is it any wonder why these news publications are losing money and readership steadily?
“Since we weren’t out until 1975 when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam forces, that means we fought there for 17 years.“
17 years verses 8, not even close, all the rest of your post is bull.
ron you are a dolt with a fantastically vivid imagination. You make up all sorts of stories in your head without one infinitesimal speck of real honest to goodness fact or reason.
“And if you think we should stay there for 17 years - or longer - please let me know when you intend to sign up for service there.“
Please show me where I posted I want to this conflict to continue. You are the most disingenuous person I have ever dealt with.
The idiotic New York Times, that liberal pos, anyone with any self respect would never read such trash, but of course you are not above quoting that ridiculous rag.
“Seems to me, that’s a no-brainer for you. You already love them guns, and you’ve read lots of books about using guns, which makes you at least as well trained as all our special forces types. And what use are guns if you can’t use them to shoot people?“
Guns serve a purpose the rest of that statement is a bold faced lie that you will come back a say you were just being facetious.
Definition of spin;
“To provide an interpretation of (a statement or event, for example), especially in a way meant to sway public opinion: “a messenger who spins bogus research into a vile theology of hatred”
to apply a slant or particular emphasis to (information), as to persuade or DECEIVE”
Any way you look at it, spin is just lying wrapped in a modicum of truth.
My own opinion, pull our people out. Self determination is what I have always believed in. Hard fought freedom is freedom that will persevere. No one values anything that is handed to them on a silver plater. If these people want to be free they should fight for it. As for OBL and the Taliban there are other ways to take care of them.
You might try to get ‘some’ facts right before you post and try the truth, it might set you free.
Of course this is just my opinion….
Vmj,
OK, so you’ve shown that we were sending “advisors” into Vietnam as early as 1958. Since we weren’t out until 1975 when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam forces, that means we fought there for 17 years.
For which we accomplished, what? Today, a unified Vietnam is one of our major trading partners. Must make all the families of those killed real happy.
Do you want this nation to stay in Afghanistan for 17 years?
That $1 million per soldier per year is the number being currently used by both the White House and Pentagon in calculating the cost of escalation in Afghanistan. Don’t like that number, give one of your own. And if you think we should stay there for 17 years - or longer - please let me know when you intend to sign up for service there.
Seems to me, that’s a no-brainer for you. You already love them guns, and you’ve read lots of books about using guns, which makes you at least as well trained as all our special forces types. And what use are guns if you can’t use them to shoot people?
Because you asked respectfully, here are some links. Of course, the library is always a good place to start looking for facts.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/module22/index.html
Not opinion, just fact….
vmj:
If the NY Times is not correct, as you posted, then I’d love to hear from you what IS the truth, with supporting facts, not opinions.
“The NYT today reported that our war in Afghanistan, the longest war in our nation’s history (with no end in sight) is costing $1 million per soldier deployed per year.“
So much cr*p printed in the news and spoken on TV and radio, but it’s takes a complete nincompoop to link to it and refer to it as the truth.
Vietnam, as well as a number of others, were much, much longer. Afghanistan doesn’t even come close.
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