Acknowledging that recent fiscal policies had put the US on an unsustainable trajectory of rising public debt, Obama said that moving towards budget balance was now essential for fiscal stability. So he called for a five-year freeze on what the US government calls “discretionary” civilian spending.
可当转向预算赤字问题时，奥巴马的讲话便开始脱离现实。 在承认近期财政政策导致公共债务不可持续膨胀的同时，奥巴马表示争取预算平衡是实现财政稳定的关键问题。 因此他呼吁在五年内冻结美国政府所谓“有决定权”的公众开支。