Who Wants to Balance the Budget?

The deficit is once again a major issue among Republicans , who have just emerged from a brutal battle to pass President Donald Trump ’s “Big Beautiful Bill” The bill, which makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent and provides a big funding boost for border security and national defense, was bitterly opposed by Thomas Massie and Rand Paul because of its dismal fiscal implications.

In 2024 , the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio stood at a staggering 123 percent , topping American indebtedness at the height of the Second World War .

Over half of the federal budget is spent on Social Security and healthcare benefits.

As America ’s fertility rate falls, older Americans outnumber younger ones in an increasing proportion.

Older Americans are also disproportionately likely to vote and contribute to political causes.

Any significant reform would be political suicide: Entitlements cannot be easily or peacefully revoked.