House GOP Must Not Shy From Using 'Ultimate Weapons'

Washington's professional political class and its cheerleaders in the liberal mainstream media are pressing ever harder for a "grand bargain" to raise the national debt ceiling far beyond the current $14.3 trillion, hike taxes and enable special interests to continue feasting on out-of-control federal spending.

Only two things prevent enactment of such a deal: House Republicans -- including, especially, most members of the class of 2010 -- and a solid majority of the American people.

This majority wants federal spending reduced but it does not want either the debt ceiling or taxes increased. So now would be a good time for House GOPers to bolster themselves by rediscovering a crucial fact about the U.S. Constitution: as political scientists Willmoore Kendall and George Carey put it in their "Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition," Congress has "all of the ultimate weapons in any showdown with either of the other two branches." And the most important of those weapons -- the power of the purse -- lies with the House.

The key players in the debt ceiling drama are President Obama, the Senate Democratic majority and the House Republican majority. Any one of the three can block the other two. And, because all spending and taxation must originate in the House, the lower chamber holds the most important card in any confrontation over federal spending and taxing. So House Republicans must exercise the power of the purse, first, to nullify the threat of fiscal Armageddon, and, second, to force Obama and Senate Democrats either to veto or accept the clear will of the majority of the American people.

To accomplish the first goal, House Republicans should pass legislation that raises the debt ceiling just enough -- say, $250 billion -- to gain sufficient time -- 30 to 60 days -- to accomplish the second goal. The debt ceiling increase should be made conditional on the Treasury Department paying the government's bills according to the following priorities: Interest on the national debt and government bonds, active-duty U.S. military, Social Security and Medicare, essential federal employees compensation and selected other essential services.

To accomplish the second goal, House Republicans should pass a comprehensive appropriation bill that funds the government through 2013 while making genuine and immediate spending cuts of at least $250 billion. Then they must stand firm against the onslaught of self-serving protests and hyperventilating accusations that will surely follow.
Read more at the Washington Examiner