Ryan's Budget Plan

I see that Congressional Republicans have brought forth a plan to balance the budget by making cuts in entitlement spending while letting states decide how they want to implement the plan.

Ryan calls for turning over to the states responsibility for the major federal programs for the poor, including Medicaid and food stamps, and giving recipients a deadline to find work and get off the government dole — much as welfare reform did to cash benefits in the late 1990s.

That sounds like a good start.

All told, Ryan proposes to slash federal spending by $5.3 trillion over the next decade compared with President Obama’s latest budget blueprint, with the biggest savings taken from health programs — including the repeal of Obama’s initiative to expand health coverage to the uninsured — and entitlements for the poor.

It is well and proper that House Republicans have a go at cutting the budget, simply because the Constitution requires that all such bills originate in the House.

Even if it were to win approval, the blueprint would be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate. But Ryan said it would provide a foundation for the GOP’s election-year push for a radically smaller federal government.

Small government is a good thing and a plan like this will highlight the differences for the voters.

There is a new Paul Ryan video out there, but remember, he's not running for anything.