The Republican agenda of cutting food stamps, wages, Medicare, Medicaid, and breaking unions is not about reducing the deficit or balancing the budget, it is about funding tax cuts for the wealthy.
Conservatives of all stripes have demonstrated that instead of compassion, their agenda is increasing the suffering of tens-of-millions of Americans to reward the wealthiest Americans.
Paul Ryan, John Boehner, and Willard Romney have almost reached their coveted goal of having the highest child poverty rate in the world. Presently, America is number two.