( Ed. note: This is Part 1 of a two-part chapter written by Brian Walter in his ongoing series regarding the No Budget No Pay Act.)

I am often asked, “How can we be sure passing the “No Budget No Pay” (NBNP) into law is going to ensure that we will get to a better place fiscally and ultimately to a balanced budget?

Well that is a great question. It is a question that deserves an answer; not only an answer, but a well thought out answer.

The answer has multiple steps.

First we have to understand that we have a huge problem with worldwide implications. The problem is deep. There are no easy answers.

Next we have to remember the root cause of our fiscal problems as given to us by Tom Coburn. Senator Coburn identified the root problem as human greed. The root cause must dictate our strategy.

Lastly, we have to remember our government functions in accordance with our Constitution. If our goal is to change how government functions - and that is precisely our goal - we must be mindful of the rules for changing our Constitution.

A well-crafted strategy is going to be crucial in this effort.

The problem is huge. Our debt is enormous.

One could easily argue that America has already gone past the tipping point. To make matters worse, virtually no one in Washington is even talking about a Constitutional Amendment to correct the problem.

Then to make matters more disheartening, our unfunded liabilities make certain that as bad as the debt is already, it is virtually guaranteed to grow even faster for the foreseeable future.

Our current debt is $36 trillion. When you take into account our unfunded liabilities our debt raises to $226 trillion.

U.S. debt as a percent of GDP has risen from 59% in 2000 to 123% in 2025 and it is only getting worse.

Our government calls these programs non-discretionary spending.

This includes things that are very near and dear to us all, like Social Security and Medicare. These entitlement programs are the main drivers of our fiscal imbalance and must be addressed.

But guess what: Do you know who in America wants to volunteer to cut their Social Security or Medicare benefits to help curb our deficit spending?

You guessed correctly. Virtually nobody does! The solution will require personal sacrifice from everyone.

To understand why the No Budget No Pay Act will work and why it is the best law to put in place by Constitutional Amendment, one has to first reflect on how huge the problem is.

When one reflects on the size of the problem, one begins to realize NBNP is not only the best way, but perhaps the only practical way, to address our fiscal problems by amending the Constitution.

If the problem were not so huge it would make more sense to pass a requirement for a balanced budget for America, as many states already require. But because the problem is so huge, that is simply not a workable solution.

If we tried to immediately move to a balanced budget, draconian cuts would be required to Social Security and Medicare, not to mention severe cuts to our military.

Sudden significant cuts to popular programs that millions rely on like Social Security and Medicare would be incredibly unpopular.

Furthermore, large cuts to our national defense are also not tenable in the minds of most Americans.

A reduction in entitlements will be necessary. A reduction in federal employees will be necessary.

But such changes must be done gradually. It is a trite saying, but we didn’t get into this mess overnight and we are not going to get out of the mess overnight.

So, the first reason NBNP is the best way to change our fiscal course is it is a gradual solution. And we have to have a gradual solution.

The second reason NBNP is the best solution to embrace is because it forces politicians to get over themselves.

Boot camp teaches soldiers to get over themselves.

Coaches teach their players to get over themselves.

If we are going to overcome our debt problem, we are all going to have to get over ourselves.

We are all greedy. We all want what we want. We all naturally think our way is not only the best way, it is the only way.

Furthermore, we all think our political opposites are selfish. We all think the things our political opposites want to set as top priorities are foolish.

We all think our political opposites have already spent way too much of our nation’s money on things that were not important to begin with.

We all think we are smart and virtuous, but we think our political opposites are stupid and greedy.

Our nation is divided.

Our nation is dysfunctional.

Our nation is drowning in debt.

If we are going to address our nation’s debt and spending

problems we have to decrease not only our debt, but also our dysfunction and division.

And we have to deal with them in reverse order.

We are fighting a problem that is a moral problem.

To overcome a moral problem, we have to have a plan designed to bring about moral change.

Tom Coburn identified our problem to be specifically rooted in the moral sin of greed.

We need to seek moral guidance against a moral sin. If we Christians are going to lead, and we must, we need to open our Bibles specifi cally to the commands of Jesus.

Jesus said He is calling us all to be disciples and that as His disciples we are to make new disciples and to teach them to follow His commands.

If our goal is to teach those we disagree with to be virtuous and follow the commands of Jesus, Jesus makes it clear the first thing we need to do is embrace His commands ourselves.

So, what did Jesus command that is relevant here?

Jesus said we need to get over ourselves!

Let’s open our Bibles. In Matthew 16: 24-26, Jesus says “Whoever would be my disciple, must deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow me.”

Because as humans we are all sinful in nature, we often miss the obvious. Therefore, please allow me to restate Jesus’ message.

He said we must “deny ourselves.”

He did not say anything about how we should fight tooth and nail to see that our personal priorities are our nation’s top priorities.

He did not say anything about making a judgment on the wisdom of our political opponent’s priorities.

He said we must “deny ourselves.”

If we are to solve our nation’s spending problem, Tom Coburn said a spiritual renewal would be required. If we are seeking spiritual renewal we need to model Jesus.

What else did Jesus say? In Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus says do not judge others, rather recognize our own sins which he identifies as being far greater than the sin of those who we are inclined to judge.

He says correct our own behavior and sin first.

Jesus taught the disciples what has now become known as the Lord’s Prayer.

Most of us know it by heart. Yet we seldom stop to consider it teaches us to humbly ask God for our “daily bread.”

The arguments in Washington are typically over spending. The arguments are typically fierce arguments.

But they typically have nothing to do with “daily bread.”

The political arguments between the two primary political groups are based in greed.

Democrats characterize Republicans as being led by industrious but greedy people who have made themselves wealthy.

They feel like Republicans have lost their appreciation for the sacrifices made by the common man for our freedom.

They wish to remind the wealthy that the freedom that drives our market economy and allows their wealth accumulation was won by sacrificed lives of soldiers from both political parties.

They feel that America’s freedom was won by the young men in the trenches, and that these young soldiers were disproportionally not from the wealthy class.

They feel the wealthy members of this group passed by the “daily bread” Jesus spoke of a long time ago.

Of course, that is only one side.

The other side is the Republicans seeing the Democrats as wanting more and more comfort and ease, but lacking the initiative to do the hard work required.

Ultimately, Republicans see Democrats as morally unfit.

The point is that both sides are ignoring the commands of Jesus.

Both sides are judging.

Jesus said “do not judge.” Neither side is seeking to examine their own sins.

Jesus said “first remove the plank from your own eye, then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

If we want to change our nations course, we must first change our hearts and seek to address our own sins. Turning our hearts and minds to Jesus is the way to do that.

The problem is money and how money drives humans, due to their sinful nature. Greed is fed by money. Money is said to be the root of all evil.

The Bible says you cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24) Christians are always to remain hopeful though. By God’s grace the problem can also be the solution.