Query: …obsessing about climate change is avoiding a frank discussion about the here-and-now problems of budget deficits, the federal debt, school choice, entitlement reform, and so on.

Relevant passages:
Political positions of Paul Ryan <=SEP=> The political positions of Paul Ryan , since 1999 the U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 's 1st congressional district and currently the 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives , are conservative and Republican with a focus on fiscal policy . Ryan was Chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015 and of Ways and Means in 2015 . Ryan was the Republican nominee for vice president as the running mate of Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election .   Ryan supports eliminating the capital gains tax , the corporate income tax , the estate tax , and the Alternative Minimum Tax .  In 1999 Ryan supported the Gramm -- Leach -- Bliley Act , which repealed some financial regulation of banks from the Glass -- Steagall Act of 1933 . During the economic recovery from the Great Recession of the late 2000s , Ryan supported the Troubled Asset Relief Program ( TARP ) , which authorized the Treasury to purchase toxic assets from banks and other financial institutions , and the auto industry bailout ; Ryan opposed the Credit CARD Act of 2009 , which expanded consumer protections regarding credit card plans , and the Dodd -- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act , which strengthened financial regulation .   Ryan believes federal poverty reduction programs are ineffective and supports cuts to welfare , child care , Pell Grants , food stamps , and other federal assistance programs . Ryan supports the privatization of social security and Medicare and block granting Medicaid to the states . Ryan supported the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit , and opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) , also known as `` Obamacare '' , and supports its repeal .   Ryan is pro-life and opposes abortion rights . Ryan opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 , which bolstered women 's rights to equal pay for equal work . Ryan supports civil unions and opposes same-sex marriage . Ryan supports school vouchers , and supported the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 and its repeal in 2015 . Ryan is unsure , and believes climate scientists are unsure , of the impact of human activity on climate change . Ryan supports tax incentives for the petroleum industry and opposes them for renewable energy . Ryan supports gun rights and opposes stricter gun control . Ryan supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .

United States federal budget <=SEP=> The United States federal budget comprises the spending and revenues of the US federal government . The budget is the financial representation of the priorities of the government , reflecting historical debates and competing economic philosophies . The government primarily spends on healthcare , retirement , and defense programs . The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office provides extensive analysis of the budget and its economic effects . It has reported that the U.S. is facing a series of long-term financial challenges , as the country ages and healthcare costs continue growing faster than the economy .