USA Today

Rest assured, for months presidential candidates have been fielding questions from voters worried about America's fiscal train wreck (" Capitol clout funnels cash to states ," News, April 26).

Although candidates might not be proposing solutions, it seems that the 110th Congress is trying to live up to its promise to establish fiscal discipline and still address our nation's basic needs.

The Common Sense Budget Act, introduced in the House of Representatives in late March, offers a strategic deficit-reduction plan. It's one of the first bills that would tackle a root cause of our nation's spiraling financial crisis: The massive amount of waste in the skyrocketing Pentagon budget, which accounts for more than half of the discretionary budget.

The proposed legislation would cut Pentagon waste — such as phasing out weapons designed to fight the former Soviet Union — and would transfer the savings to deficit-reduction measures and domestic priorities, such as health and education.

Fiscal discipline requires tough love. Congress needs to cut government waste and reallocate the savings to programs that provide real security for Americans.

The sooner the presidential candidates accept the need for fiscal restraint and come up with solid answers to our questions about federal spending priorities, the better.

Ben Cohen, president
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
Co-founder, Ben & Jerry's
New York