In a House Budget Committee hearing on Wednesday on President Obama’s Fy2013 budget request, Rep. Todd Young (R-IN9) chided acting Office of Management and Budget Director Jeff Zients for the White House’s failure to address long-term insolvency in so-called “mandatory” spending programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

After noting that mandatory spending programs make up 70% of the budget today—and that under the Obama budget they would make up nearly 80% by 2022—Young said, “It leads to a pretty obvious question here and I just want to dig fairly deeply on this: Why did the administration choose not to address this entirely predictable situation where mandatory spending continues to tick upward at a rapid rate, driving our debt crisis?”

After Zients responded only with what Young called “poll-tested talking points”, the Congressman explained how the budget process is supposed to work, with both sides setting out priorities and specific plans, then working together to identify common ground.

“Without any specifics, you know what we’re left with?” said Young.  “We’re left with talking points.  We’re left with political arguments.  If you would lay out a scoreable plan for each of these different areas, then we could find common ground—which is exactly what the American people want.”

The full video can be watched below or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIXWxvWksU.