Ohio governor John Kasich is attracting national attention. Not because of an anti-Obama statement or a presidential run. Instead, he is gaining support from other governors for a national balanced budget amendment.

Kasich, a second-term Republican governor, led a remarkable economic recovery in Ohio and is seeking to make a balanced budget part of the Constitution.

First of all, what is a balanced budget? According to Investopedia, it is when “total revenues are equal to or greater than total expenses.” While this sounds simple and logical, our federal government has not had a balanced budget since 1998 when Bill Clinton was president, and that was the first time since 1969 when there was no deficit. Ohio, on the other hand, has a balanced budget, and Governor Kasich even announced a significant decrease of income tax rates.

Yes, it is a lot easier to manage a state budget than a federal one, but our governor also has experience on the national stage. As a member of Congress in the 1990s, he served as Chairman of the House Budget Committee and oversaw the 1998 balanced budget and subsequent surpluses. Surprisingly, the Republican-controlled Congress worked with a Democratic president to achieve this extraordinary feat. During his term as governor, Ohio’s unemployment rate has decreased from 9.3% to 4.8%, and a $1.5 billion rainy day fund has been established.

25 states have now approved this resolution, but a constitutional amendment requires ratification by 38 states. With the U.S. economy at its strongest since the Great Recession, now is a great time for the federal government to pass a balanced budget.

While some speculate this movement is a precursor to a Kasich presidential bid, everyone should instead be thankful for the progress he is making to improve our country despite the hostile political climate.

Written by Oliver Kornberg’16

Photo: The Charleston Gazette