Fiscal solution must put people first

From day one of the debt ceiling debate, I called for a bold, bipartisan plan to solve our nation’s fiscal challenges. With my background as a small business owner, it has been unthinkable that a deal could not be negotiated until the last minute.

While the deal put in place isn’t perfect, I am pleased that Washington came together to take the first step toward finding a real solution for the problems we face. The bipartisan bill that was passed included ideas that finally put people before politics. The final package put spending controls in place and will bring Washington a step closer towards a balanced budget.

Currently, our nation is over $14 trillion in debt. That is one of the major reasons our nation was downgraded to an AA+ rating. Rather than point fingers and use divisive partisan rhetoric, we must work together to address our spending problem before our future generations are burdened further with out-of-control deficits and debt.

Nearly every Member of Congress can agree that we need to cut spending by more than we increase it. That is the fiscally responsible thing to do and will allow us to pay down the debt and stop it from being passed down to our children and grandchildren. American families have had to tighten their belts and do more with less. So should Washington.

I am pleased to see that a bipartisan plan was reached and I think it is now time for Washington to focus on creating an environment for job growth and putting our nation back on a path toward a strong, healthy economy.

U.S. Rep. Robert J. Dold

Kenilworth