Of course the solutions to our current budget "curb cut, not cliff" are simple: get the eff out of Afghanistan, reduce our global empire, put the returning troops to work on infrastructure and any bridge built before 1874!, and do some nation-building right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
That would ensure our continuing "exceptionalism" that is of tremendous bipartisan importance to all our esteemed leaders in Washington, DC.