50% is a tall order, but it’s going to take around that ratio to have a balanced budget. When we talk about cutting (over) spending at the federal government level, I think we start at the wrong end. We should first look at what is brought in, and limit all spending to that or less. Preferably less; and use the rest to pay down the national debt. The government is supposed to be representative of the people. The people have been living on less (aka tightening our belts) since Nancy Pelosi took the gavel in Jan. 2007, followed by the big slam from a new liberal president in Jan. 2009. Although they accelerated it, the problem (national debt) has been on-going for years. It’s no wonder why the American people don’t trust politicians. Let’s get the greedy out of Washington DC.