Sen. Carper: U.S. Needs 'Culture Of Thrift'

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said the president’s Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Commission last year provided a valuable “roadmap” to start to address the federal debt.

Sen. Carper championed some programs in the administration’s budget released today, including $250 million for malpractice reform in healthcare. He also touted the 5-year freeze on non-defense discretionary spending, which according to the administration would save $400 billion over 10 years.

But to address the long-term debt, Carper said more cuts are necessary. The debt commission’s proposals, which didn’t get enough votes to pass to Congress, addressed the major entitlements including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Our nation needs to shift from a ‘culture of spendthrift’ to a ‘culture of thrift,’ where we endeavor to look in every nook and cranny of the federal government for ways in which we can save and recover money,” Carper said in a statement.