Both parties have agreed to ignore the U.S. debt problem by promising not to reform its primary cause: entitlements. Republicans for many years were the only party willing to say that entitlements as currently structured are fiscally unsustainable and require reforms. One of Donald Trump’s political innovations was to join Democrats in promising not to reform entitlements.

Taking that position doesn’t make any difference to the math. But there was an argument that it could at least help neutralize the issue politically and prevent Democrats from portraying Republicans as entitlement-cutters.

It doesn’t look like that’s going to work:

Democrats are going to call Republicans entitlement-cutters no matter what, so Republicans might as well have a plan to reform the programs. By doing nothing, both parties are committed to an automatic 23 percent Social Security benefits cut in nine years.