Manchin's Message from the Hill to the Mountains: Our Values, Our Priorities

Op-Ed

What follows is an op-ed by Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wrapping up his weeklong "Our Values, Our Priorities" tour. West Virginia publications are free to print this piece.

My grandfather taught me that if you want to be strong and help other people, you have to be strong yourself. It's a principle that guided me as governor, and it's one that I am taking to Washington.

Now, I'll be blunt. There are some politicians who are unwilling to set their priorities and values, who believe we can simply ignore the fiscal peril we face as a nation. They are wrong. And our debt crisis is making it harder for this great country to stay strong.

I have never put together a budget -- whether it was my family's or when I was governor - that was based on how much we wanted to spend, but on what we had. And neither have you.

Here's the truth: Our national debt is fast approaching $15 trillion, and Congress is once again being asked to raise it. Our yearly budget deficits are exceeding $1 trillion. We outspent our income by $223 billion in the month of February alone.

Let me make it more personal. Each person in this state, each one of your children and each one of your grandchildren would have to write a check for $46,000 today to get rid of our national debt.

Simply put, it is wrong, and we must get our fiscal house in order.

To fix this fiscal mess, we must be honest about what we value and what we need to spend your taxpayer dollars on -- not what just sounds good. We cannot make budgets based on the next election, we must make them based on what's best for the next generation.

That is why I will vote against raising the debt ceiling unless the vote is linked to a real budget plan that begins to fix our fiscal mess.

And, that is why I spent the past week touring our great state for "Our Values, Our Priorities" Week and listened to your values, priorities and ideas.

During the week, I was so proud to discuss four key areas: strengthening our economy and creating jobs; taking care of the most vulnerable among us; keeping our promises to seniors and veterans; and creating a more prosperous America by achieving true energy independence within this generation.

I kicked off the week by speaking to students at the University of Charleston about our values and priorities for their futures, especially what we must do to create good jobs. I visited a Head Start center in Dunbar, where I discussed wrong-headed cuts that would knock 1,300 West Virginia kids off such a vital program.

As all West Virginians know, we value helping the most vulnerable, and we shouldn't cut services for children, seniors, and veterans - especially without discussing the alternatives.

Later in the week, after speaking with seniors and advocates, I announced new legislation, the National Silver Alert, which is modeled after the Amber Alert for missing children and makes our seniors a priority. Since I enacted it in West Virginia, the program worked every time it was activated.

I also participated in a forum for business leaders at Tech Park, an initiative I started as governor to develop public-private partnerships to create jobs for West Virginians. No one works harder than West Virginians and ventures like the Tech Park will help create jobs and help us achieve that vision.

Another issue I addressed was high gas prices and the need for America to free itself from foreign oil. Every single West Virginian is hurting because of gas prices, and it's time we do something about it. Washington has failed to make it a priority to adopt a national energy policy. If we truly value our nation's future, we must develop a comprehensive energy plan that uses all of our resources. We must make it a goal to become energy independent within this generation.

While we face difficult budget decisions, I know that we -- as West Virginians and Americans -- can come together and have an honest and open discussion about what we value and what we prioritize. And, as the greatest nation on earth, I know we will overcome this great fiscal challenge and create an even stronger and more prosperous America for you and your families.

Source