WASHINGTON — With a deal to solve the nation’s debt ceiling crisis inching closer to conclusion, regular citizens outside the Capitol on Monday remained cautious about the future of the U.S. economy.
Paulette Matthews, who was joined by her five daughters ranging in age from 5 to 16, held colorful signs outside the Capitol not in protest, but to “encourage members [of Congress] to balance our budget every year” to produce a long-term goal.
The Matthews family holds signs outside the Capitol buildling Aug. 1 urging Congress to balance the budget on the day a vote is due to avoid the country's first-ever default. L to R: Mackenzie, 14, Emily, 16, Mom Paulette, Jueie, 5, Holly, 7, Ellie Joy, 11 (Rema Rahman/MNS)
Matthews, who is from Kansas City, Mo., said she wants a change in philosophy when it comes to the way Congress handles the budget.She said she wants to see more saving and less spending, fearing mounting American debt will only be passed on to her kids.
“What if we…drive the deficit up so high, we drive the debt so high, that we can’t pay it back?” she said.
Others outside the Capitol were surprised at how long it took Congress to make a decision.
“It’s pretty dangerous to try to cut it so close to the deadline,” said Washingtonian Andrew Johnson, 26. “This has been a long time in the making.”
The White House and Capitol Hill leaders from both political parties reached a deal late Sunday evening, apparently averting a fiscal crisis two days before a Tuesday deadline set by the Treasury Department before it exhausted its borrowing authority.
Still, Matthews said she was concerned about the compromise deal because she saw “a lot of taking care of people now, regardless of what happens in the future. That is where the irresponsibility lies.”
Matthews’ daughters stood by their mother holding signs that read “What direction are you taking us?” and “Your future matters to you. But doesn’t mine too?”
“We need to balance our budget because if they keep just racking up the debt, that’s putting a lot of money that we’re going to have to spend our future paying off.” said Emily, 16, who held up a sign that read “It’s time to balance our budget.”
Matthews, who believes keeping her daughters as informed on the topic as her is a “civic responsibility,” said her daughters realize “that they are going to have to take up the responsibility if this Congress doesn’t.”
“Do we spend now for what we want now or do we save for what we know we need?” Matthews said.)