Response to ‘State of the Union and debt ceiling math’

It seems to me that the discussion around deficits and the debt ceiling from each political party centers more around political talking points and does not illuminate. Mr. Rosenberger’s take on the Deficit leaves out much that should be considered, starting with the U.S. Budget that is about 160 pages in length. For example, the fact that Social Security is 23% of federal expenditures leaves an inaccurate picture of the deficit, which I will discuss shortly. The budget does not tell the whole story here. For one, the Department of Homeland Security, which came into being under George W. Bush in 2002, plus the classified budgets of the CIA and NSA, brings Defense spending to over a trillion dollars a year.