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Todd Rokita Says GOP Must Think Long-Term on Spending

By W. James Antle, III on 5.5.11 @ 11:14AM

This morning Rep. Todd Rokita, a freshman Republican representing Indiana's Fourth Congressional District, addressed a Newsmaker Breakfast sponsored by The American Spectator and Americans for Tax Reform. Acknowledging that he comes from a heavily Republican district, Rokita argued that the Democratic narrative about a huge townhall backlash against the 2012 GOP budget is false.

Rokita took us through the slideshow he presents to his own constituents about the debt crisis facing the country. His charts and graphs paint a picture of historic debt levels leading to historic tax increases and then historic unemployment in the absence of systemic entitlement reforms like those envisioned by Paul Ryan's budget. He also takes care to illustrate the money being borrowed from the Chinese, complete with China's flag and fighter pilots. He also has slides that show that neither tax increases on the wealthy nor cuts to defense and unpopular expenditures (earmarks and foreign aid) will suffice.

Rokita said the Ryan budget "was radical for Washington, D.C." but he did not "think it goes far enough." He thinks gradual changes to the retirement age and "more aggressive means-testing" should begin sooner rather than later, and says many senior citizens in his townhall meetings are willing to sacrifice if it means more sustainable debt levels for their grandchildren. Rokita believes there is more support for means-testing and retirement age modifications in Congress than in personal accounts, but said free-market reform is "not dead to me."

The congressman argued that the "crappy one- and two-week CRs" touching discretionary spending were "not the hill to die on" but changes to entitlement programs definitely are. They are more difficult for future Congresses to change and address the spending that is actually driving the country's debt problems. Rokita says some kind of systematic change will be necessary to secure his vote for raising the debt ceiling. Even default does not push the economic consequences on to future generations, he argued.

Rokita chided Republicans for being too worried about their 2012 prospects to take the lead on federal spending now. He says they need to make the most of their present opportunity. In terms of campaign politics, Rokita said he was staying out of Indiana's GOP Senate primary (he noted that Richard Lugar hasn't asked for his support), is backing Mike Pence for governor, and does not know if Gov. Mitch Daniels will run for president but he'd be on board if the governor did.

View all comments (13) | Leave a comment

Wayne | 5.5.11 @ 1:05PM

Odd title as it seems that he is really thinking short term. That is he is proposing reductions early rather than later.

As anyone who has found themselves with a drastic drop in income can tell you. You must act immediately. You have to prioritize and drop things that are no longer necessary. The GOP does not do that. I reduces spending "over the long term", but leaves high deficits over the next 5 or 6 years. That means "long term" suicide. When both the GOP and the Democrats want to spend the nation into oblivion where do we turn?

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.5.11 @ 3:27PM

He sounds like the only in Washington who knows what he's talking about. That also means he's the only one worth listening to on the subject.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.5.11 @ 3:27PM

He sounds like the only in Washington who knows what he's talking about. That also means he's the only one worth listening to on the subject.

Mike Gabel| 5.5.11 @ 4:16PM

Someone needs to remind Mr. Rokita (and any other confused conservative) that means testing and retirement age modification are simply broken promises by the US Government. Promises, by the way, that could never be kept in the first place.

These false reforms are the same broken promises of increasing the Social Security Tax, denying inflation increases for benefits, and increasing the taxability of benefits.

All of it is bullcrap and it makes Social Security more of a wealth distribution scheme than it already is!

Privatization is the only true reform; the one that get government out of the retirement savings business; the one that protects our liberty and our private property.

Mick Lee| 5.6.11 @ 9:17AM

Mike. Means testing and retirement age modification are a way to shift to privatization. They tell the vast majority of us that if we want to retire at 65 or younger we'd better make other arrangements.

Mike Gabel| 5.6.11 @ 5:59PM

Yeah Mick, but the problem is that the gov't will still expect our tax contributions to the welfare state.

I'd be glad to opt out if it were possible. The government can keep whatever I've contributed to date, and I'd still kick some in for an honest safety net, for those who truly can't do for themselves.

The problem here is that I used "honest" and "government" in the same sentence.

Wayne | 5.7.11 @ 12:52PM

Good point. This is a broken contract with the citizens of the United States. Where in the constitution is it allowed for the government to break these contracts? The only real solution to this problem is a bankruptcy and a reformation. It won't be good for seniors, but the financial situation leaves no viable option.

Flabby Hoosier| 5.9.11 @ 6:13AM

"Where in the constitution is it allowed for the government to break these contracts?" Better question: where in the Constitution was authority for Congress to make these promises? The handwriting's been on the wall for these Ponzi schemes for a long time and anyone that's been banking on them being there for them has been kidding themselves.

Michael L. Hauschild| 5.5.11 @ 4:41PM

I say when it comes to spending we must rethink the GOP.

Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:57AM

Dear Michael,

when I was thinking of extremely intelligent bloggers here I missed your name. Please forgive me my oversight.

CJohnson| 5.6.11 @ 11:08AM

Planning future spending without addressing present and past spending. Yep, that pretty much describes the ex.

PattyMor| 5.6.11 @ 2:21PM

The U.S. is running out of time. We do not have 10 years to wait for the Ryan Plan to kick in. We are just about to go over the cliff; meanwhile Obama punts on the budget. Mr. O keeps saying he has a plan, but last time I looked, all he had was a speech. That way, you can't hold him to anything. How's that for leadership. Again, leading from behind and taking potshots to boot.
But he has plenty of time to rake in the cash.

Oldefarte| 5.6.11 @ 5:04PM

Some fixes are easily accompolished. The government must repay the SS trust fund the $2 [?] trillion that it has stolen [borrowed in governmese] from same. Next, delete the $100000 wage cap/limit on wages/income subject to SS taxiation going forward. SS problem solved. Overall, substantial cuts/eliminations are necessary for foreign aid [think Pakistan's $2 bil while harboring UBL and Mubarek's $billions in swiss bank accounts], farm aid, excessive military hardware, and lastly [but never last] any/all GOVERNMENTAL WELFARE!!!!!!!!!!!!