The Eve of a New Era
TWO hundred and twenty-seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Oct. 26 to balance the budget. Two-hundred and three voted no. Each member had a reason for his or her vote. Tom Coburn's reason weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Coburn, a freshman representing Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District, called the vote historic. But it wasn't the past that concerned him, or the present. It was the future - Sarah Katherine Bonds' future.
"Today, we have shown that we have the discipline to do what is right for our children and grandchildren," Coburn said after voting for the bill.
Twenty-four hours earlier, he didn't have any grandchildren. But late on the night before the vote, Coburn's daughter Callie gave birth to Sarah Katherine. Suddenly all the rancor and rhetoric came down to this 125-ounce package wrapped in pink.
The future belongs to Sarah Katherine Bonds and her contemporaries. Will they be burdened with our debt, with our inability to make hard choices? Or will they prosper because, in 1995, we decided as a nation that enough is enough?
"It is time," Coburn said, "for people to consider what this debt is doing to our nation. " When would it end if it doesn't end in seven years, when the House plan projects a balanced budget?
Imagine, when Sarah Katherine enters the first grade, this country could be living within its means for the first time in decades.
But that will only happen if enough of us start thinking about the next generation. Those pampered special interest groups who insist we cannot have a balanced budget without calamity are like spoiled brats in a crowded restaurant.
Government cannot be Big Daddy forever. Big Daddy is broke, and spending someone else's money. Grandpa Tom is right: Asking our children and their children to pay for our bad choices is immoral.
Congratulations, Rep. Coburn. Thank you (and four of your five Oklahoma colleagues in the House) for putting the future ahead of pressure from the whining hordes.
Here's to a long and happy life for Sarah Katherine and all the other bundles of joy that arrived on the eve of this historic vote. BIOG: NAME:
Archive ID: 629033