Unfortunately, this budget blueprint is a work of fiction. Looking at the priorities outlined in it, I am forced to wonder if the leaders of Congress and the president’s budget office have been living in a cave for the past six months. There is simply no recognition of the realities surrounding us, and no willingness to make the tough choices we need.

The only trade-offs the administration proposed at the beginning of the budget debate were unjustifiable ones – such as cutting funding specifically for schools serving military families while sending parents to fight overseas, for example.

The majority party’s budget that passed the House this week is no better. Over the next 10 years, it includes $1.35 trillion in new tax cuts and $998 billion in cuts to “mandatory” spending programs – programs that people are entitled to, according to our laws. Among these are veterans benefits, student loans and civil service retirement benefits.

The budget also raids the Social Security trust fund and will result in an additional $1.5 trillion in interest payments on the national debt.

Our nation currently faces three enormous challenges: a lethargic economy; domestic security and international instability; and an unrecognized coming explosion in Medicare and Social Security expenditures. The budget not only fails miserably in addressing all three of these challenges, but arguably puts our country in an even worse position for dealing with them in the future.

While government policies cannot create a good economy, they do establish a foundation for an economy to either grow or stagnate. Balanced budgets and fiscal discipline create confidence, government efficiency and lower interest rates. Access to education, training and health care will ensure that our economy grows and that all citizens have the opportunity to prosper.

The policies of this president and House majority have been remarkable for their lack of fiscal discipline and consideration of long-term economic development for our country. This budget simply continues that.

In its budget, the Republican majority repeatedly uses rhetoric to disguise the absence of financial support for critical initiatives. Even the president’s signature education act, “No Child Left Behind,” which introduced more rigorous requirements for teachers and more costly regulations for schools, is given $9.7 billion less than was promised to states forf the implementation of the program.

Ensuring our domestic security, the second challenge our nation faces, is ignored in this budget altogether.

Despite talk of national defense and securing the homeland, actual homeland security implementation is dramatically hindered by this budget. The majority failed to provide the $3.5 billon that police, firefighters and emergency medical services desperately need, underfunded the new Transportation Security Agency and provided no funding for the security of our ports.

Most notably, there is no recognition in this budget of the cost of the war in Iraq. Not only will we bear enormous financial responsibility for the war’s operations, but we will also bear the economic burden for the rebuilding operation that we have promised to do – and must do. Neither is considered in the budget blueprint.

In addition, the budget continues Congress’ long tradition of hiding from problems until they are staring us in the face. The coming baby boom retirement will place an enormous and unprecedented strain on Medicare and Social Security, potentially crippling our health care system, federal government and entire economy. Yet we are doing nothing to prepare for it; rather, we are making our situation worse by continuing to throw fiscal discipline out the window, going deeper and deeper into debt and refusing to reform these important programs.

With the enactment of this budget, it is the first time in America’s history that we have cut taxes while going to war. Previously, Americans came together in a spirit of mutual sacrifice when our security was threatened, but instead of asking something of our citizens, this budget pretends we can have it all. At best, it is an overly optimistic document; at worst, it is misleading and dishonest.

Americans deserve better. At a recent workshop on the budget, I asked constituents to help make the choices necessary to balance the budget: I learned first-hand that people are truly willing to make touch choices and make sacrifices to meet our nation’s challenges head-on.

Unfortunately, the majority’s budget that passed last week takes us in the wrong direction in meeting the challenges most pressing to our nation.