The latest debt ceiling debacle continues apace with a vote on the House Republican budget cut/debt limit increase package expected this week. Don’t be fooled, though, as this is likely just the first in many waves to rock Washington, markets, and possibly your pocketbook. It shouldn’t be this hard. Lawmakers need to raise the debt ceiling and move the spending debates to an open budget process.

This current process is clearly broken. Reining in our deficits and slowing the growth of the debt are critical. But the House Republican attempt to lash up budget cuts and changes to the debate ceiling debate is an over complication. The spending we are paying for by raising the debt ceiling is money already approved. These are funds to pay our country’s creditors. That’s done. The question now is how we move forward.

First, get rid of the debt ceiling. We once saw it as a tool. Weird, and at times annoying, but it forced Washington to focus on its deficit addiction problem. Even in the last major debt ceiling fight (2011) we saw it as useful. The super committee was a failure, but across-the-board cuts were made, and spending caps were implemented in the Budget Control Act (BCA). That didn’t really work either. People just kept on spending, particularly on national security, by “amending” the caps each year. Let’s find a new path.

Or maybe an old one: Let’s try regular order. The President’s budget was late. Where is the House budget resolution? The GOP debt ceiling proposal “deems” topline spending levels to have been decided without any actual debate. The package was cobbled together in the back rooms (thought that was going away with the new Speakership). The House Republicans have lashed the two issues together with a “take it or leave it” mindset. If you’re going to claim something is serious, you need to spend some serious time and energy, and political capital on it.

Actions speak louder than words when it comes to the national debt. Reminder, the debt ceiling has been raised nearly 80 times. That’s because successive Congresses and Presidents keep running deficits. And this isn’t ancient history. The debt ceiling was raised three times under President Trump. The debt has grown under the watch of every President since Andrew Jackson was in office. The U.S. has always had debt. Growing the debt is a bipartisan affliction that requires bipartisan attention.

Leaving aside that hostage-taking on the debt limit is wrong, the GOP proposal isn’t the right medicine. There are some provisions we like, but the Senate isn’t likely to go along. Holding non-defense discretionary spending to no more than a 1 percent increase every year for the next decade? Not happening. Remember the budget caps that were amended year after year under the BCA?

Democrats aren’t immune from our criticism. The COVID-19 emergency and subsequent federal stimulus bills led to massive increases in spending at some agencies. Reverting to FY2022 levels (last year) won’t be a draconian world crushing cut for most of them. And “emergency” COVID-19 related funds that are still unobligated two or even three years later need to be rescinded, but that’s a lot less cash than the GOP claims.

It’s time to get serious. Let’s also make it a regular occurrence that Washington debates the drivers of spending outside of the annual budget process. Absent legislation to shore up the programs, benefits will be cut. That’s not a recommendation, that’s the law, and that’s math. The GOP proposal includes increased work requirements and other changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Leaving aside whether that is right or wrong, Congress is set to debate a Farm Bill this year. Have the debate there and open all parts of the bill to ensure the programs are fiscally responsible, focused on need, and foster resilience instead of dependence.

National security spending deserves much greater scrutiny than it seems to get in the Republican budget plan. The old chestnut of saving money by cutting “waste, fraud and abuse” has been touted for decades. If it hasn’t worked by now… it ain’t going to. And the idea that acquisition reform will cut spending is also a well-worn trope. Ending unnecessary or unworkable programs, like the Littoral Combat Ship that the Chief of Naval Operations isn’t willing to spend another procurement dollar on… that’s what saves money. And allowing the Air Force to retire the aircraft they have been looking to phase out. That’s common sense budget cutting that will, you know, actually cut the budget.

Then repeat this open process on all parts of the budget. Some of these third rails may need to be addressed by a commission or working group that is a little less political. But in the end they each have to be addressed. And while commissions have been seen as a dodge in the past, that’s what shored up Social Security in the 1980s.

Deficits matter. The debt matters. Partisan proposals that lead to praise from the base by targeting “the other side’s programs” aren’t going to cut it. Lift the debt ceiling then let’s get serious and put in the work to get a fiscally responsible budget across the line. We can do it because we have to.