Larsen wants us to trust Congress?

I want to thank you and Rep. Rick Larsen for printing his debt ceiling commentary. (Sunday, “Separate debt ceiling vote from deficit reduction talks.“) It is the clearest picture yet of just how liberal and out o

f touch with his constituents he is.

This is a man who has credibility problems. He always claims that he supports our troops and votes for veterans benefits and then nearly always votes against full funding for troops in harm’s way. Your newspaper has never called the voting public’s attention to this charade.

Rep. Larsen states in this piece that he thinks that Congress should vote to allow a higher national debt and that we should trust him and others to adopt lower spending levels in the future. The ongoing debt negotiations show what a bogus idea that is. Plans for reduced spending are always scheduled to follow the increase in the debt ceiling by 10 or 15 years.

Do you believe that spending reductions will ever be adopted if not tied to raising the debt ceiling? I don’t. My cynicism is founded on 15 years of budget work in state government. Future action plans, especially spending cuts, are rarely ever adopted or implemented.

Tell Rep. Larsen that now is the time for him and the rest of Congress to do their jobs and reduce spending. Then, if necessary, they could raise the debt ceiling. The reverse will result in the United States continuing down the road to financial ruin.

Speak up, Americans! It’s our country and our money.

Rod R. Mourant
Freeland