Hollings: Deficit Solution Requires More Than Cuts

Former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings has often questioned the logic of fierce partisanship. This week, he penned a column challenging both out-of-control spending and the logic of attacking the deficit strictly with cuts.

For eight years under President Bush, Congressmen Boehner, Cantor, and Ryan voted for tax cuts, wars and prescription drugs and never paid for them. Now, Congressmen Boehner, Cantor and Ryan want to pay for tax cuts, war, and prescription drugs with spending cuts. President Obama is running annual deficits of $1 trillion or more. I would like to see their list of $1 trillion in spending cuts.

In 1948 we had a rule in the South Carolina House of Representatives that on second reading, any spending bill had to have a certificate from the Controller that the expenditures were within the revenues or the bill was sent back to the Ways and Means Committee. In 1959, as Governor of South Carolina, we raised taxes and in 1960, South Carolina was the first southern state to receive a AAA credit rating. All Governors think of paying for this year's government. We used to in Congress.

Read more of Hollings' thoughts on fixing Washington's budget deficit.