The Budget Resolution: Who's Really Looking Out for Future Generations?

by Karen Schulman, Senior Policy Analyst,
National Women’s Law Center    

The budget resolution being considered by Congress this week supports important investments in health care, education, and sustainable energy that will strengthen our nation’s economy in the long term. Yet some opponents of the budget resolution are charging that the measure amounts to “generational theft” because they say it would add to a budget debt that will have to be repaid by the next generation. 

The long-term debt is a legitimate concern, but these critics would be more credible if they had been as concerned about the debt when they were voting to steal from the next generation of low- and moderate-income citizens to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy of this generation (including the wealthy investment bankers who helped bring about our current economic situation). Instead of responding to proposals for tax cuts heavily slanted to the wealthy by crying, “Thief!”, they instead shouted, “Aye!” It would also be easier to take these critics seriously if many of them weren’t the same politicians voting against programs that would help the next generation, such as children’s health care and early care and education. Or if they weren’t objecting to proposals that would pay for these investments by closing tax loopholes, reducing tax breaks for the very wealthy, and ending wasteful corporate subsidies.

We need to make sure that the children we raise today are healthy and well-educated so they can contribute to the economy of tomorrow and can help their own children prosper and thrive. Making wise investments now isn’t stealing from the next generation—it’s strengthening future generations, and strengthening the economy they will inherit.