Forget Naysayers and Attack Deficit

President Barack Obama is ready to make a small move in the right direction in announcing a three-year freeze on nonsecurity-related discretionary spending in tonight's State of the Union Address.

Would the proposed freeze be enough to wean Congress from the spending binge it's indulged in for decades? Not even close. The policy would affect only one-sixth of the federal government's annual budget.

Yet the work of restoring fiscal sanity must start somewhere, and saving $250 billion by halting the growth in discretionary spending is an obvious place to begin. For that reason, congressional leaders, including Republicans who suddenly claimed to rediscover fiscal conservatism after they were turned out of power, should embrace the president's proposal.

Unfortunately, but predictably, complaints from both sides of the aisle already have begun. Some Democrats are arguing that domestic programs have been underfunded, a staggering assertion given that the budget deficit is forecast to top $1.3 trillion this year. Many Republicans, who again have seriously weakened their credibility on this issue, are dismissing the proposal as too little, too late.

In short, the same congressional dysfunction that has produced deadlock on most other issues of substance will now threaten Obama's effort to cut the deficit.

But the nation risks serious economic consequences if it stays on its current course.

According to a Congressional Budget Office study released Tuesday, the national debt will double this decade, from $7.5 trillion now to $15 trillion by 2020. The debt by that time would amount to two-thirds of gross domestic product. Those figures, it should be noted, are based on a continuation of current policies. The creation of new entitlements, such as an extension of health-care benefits, would push the debt significantly higher.

In his first year in office, Obama spent money at an unprecedented rate, including $789 billion on a mismanaged economic stimulus package. For that reason, it's tempting to dismiss the president's proposal as a political ploy designed to appeal to moderates. The nation, however, can't afford to see every issue through a political lens.

Given Washington's past inertia, even a modest step forward must, at this point, be cheered.

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