Below is just one example of why a GOP first term President does go after entitlements.You need to separate the debt / deficit from the tax cut. If, as the right believes, the tax cut increases the revenue to the government then that is a good thing https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepat.../#2c3df8e34bf2 . However, balancing the budget and decreasing the deficit / debt is a completely separate issue. The last time we had a balanced budget was 1998 - 2001. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ce-the-budget/ . Some credit Clinton with this when others give credit to the republican congress. https://www.cato.org/publications/co...balance-budget . The point is it has been way to many years of deficits and way to much debt to expect any one president to fully reverse this trend. I think it should be addressed by attacking the entitlements including SS but I agree with WTF that many voters on both sides scream "not my benefits" and so it goes. Trump cannot force a balanced budget thru congress. Congress needs to start the process. The military has been gutted by 15 years of war as well as budget cuts. IMO we need to rebuild our military and make sure our equipment is fully maintained and keep our personnel trained. This obviously comes at a higher cost. Protecting this country and our allies should be a top priority for all of us. Addressing the entitlement issues should be the first step in reducing the deficit. Maybe one of these years we will have a congress with some backbone to make the difficult decisions.
Budman wants to spend other people's money on Defense. Yet he wanted tax cuts and he wants to increase Defense Spending. And I assume he wants to decrease the deficit. That is like continuing to charge your credit card , not pay the bull and crying about the mounting debt you are running up.
But back to your point....nobody will get reelected cutting taxes for the wealthy in one breath and cutting entitlements on the other . Congress wants to get reelected, Trump wants to be reelected.
Do you want to give up your SS and Medicare benefits so Budman can increase Military spending? If so , you are one of the very few. Most voters do not and Congress knows that. That is why they try and cut say CHIP (children do not vote) .
The problem with the GOP is that many of their voters are on SS and Medicare. Why do you think Trump vowed not to touch them! Originally Posted by WTF