E. J. Dionne writes in the Washington Post that President Biden will focus his State of the Union speech on “how to make the economy grow for everyone.”

News headlines are filled with speculations about the U.S. debt limit.

Earlier this year, House Republicans committed to pairing any increase in the debt limit with spending reforms.

There is an obvious way to implement urgently needed reform.

Congress misses deadlines regularly and often fails to complete its work.

Following a massive bipartisan increase in emergency spending during the COVID-19 pandemic that contributed to inflation reaching a 40‐​year high, the 118th Congress should shift fiscal gears.

Federal debt is too high and growing at an accelerating pace.

Just as I predicted back in October, Congress pushed its discretionary spending deadline back by one week, from December 16 to December 23.

Congress has spent a combined $1 trillion through supplemental appropriations over the last five years in inflation‐adjusted 2021 dollars. While most of the supplemental spending since 2020 was in response to COVID-19, supplemental appropriations are on the rise over the long term (chart below).

High and persistent deficits and debt pass a large share of the cost of government spending to future generations.