OPINION:
Another act in the congressional Kabuki production “Averting a Government Shutdown” is over, but stay tuned for the next act in March (“Biden signs government funding extension, avoiding partial shutdown,” web, Dec. 21).
Washington gained some acreage, and President-elect Donald Trump didn’t get a debt limit suspension.
Mr. Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency aims to finish its work by July 4, 2026. But it needs a goal other than an amorphous “fix the government,” “make it more efficient” or “streamline federal operations.”
I suggest Mr. Trump charge DOGE with streamlining government operations by crafting a balanced budget for 2027. He should make clear that he will veto anything other than a balanced budget in 2027. And even further, the president should support a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution for the last act in the federal fiscal theater.
PAUL J. McILVAINE
Alexandria, Virginia
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