I am appalled by the irresponsible budget proposal coming out of the U.S. House of Representatives. It proposes cuts to programs for health care, environmental protection and education and attempts to balance the budget on the backs of the sick, elderly and poor.

Yet there is no attempt to cut those programs largely responsible for our deficit — two prolonged and increasingly indefensible wars and tax cuts for the wealthy.

In addition, the proposal ignores the lessons of history and most economists that while balancing the budget is imperative over the long run, drastic cuts now will derail the recovery from the 2007 recession and put an additional 800,000 Americans out of work.

It's time the House Republicans started acting like responsible grown-ups.

Jack Kinstlinger, Baltimore