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6 ways President Obama and Congress can avoid the 'fiscal cliff'

Republican congressional leaders and President Obama sharply disagree over how to deal with the impending “fiscal cliff.” But a successful plan shouldn’t be that hard to put in place. Here are six ways Washington can avoid the “fiscal cliff.”

5. Replace sequester spending cuts with more sensible reforms

The 2011 Budget Control Act dictates automatic – and devastating – spending cuts of $1.2 trillion that will take effect beginning next year unless Congress and the president take action to avert this sequester. Congress should vote to repeal the sequester and replace the cuts with more sensible ones, such as limiting farm subsidies and reining in health-care costs more.

Discretionary spending has already taken a big hit and is not the primary source of our fiscal problem. Reallocations and reforms within this category are needed, but current levels of already-capped spending are barely sufficient to keep the country strong, both militarily and domestically. Domestic spending programs such as education, infrastructure, research, and those targeted at lower-income families should be preserved.

Democrats will be pleased these programs are spared from drastic cuts, while the GOP will be relieved that the defense budget can avoid the sequester’s ill-considered ax.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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