Spending by Americans was flat in December, but they socked money away in savings accounts at the highest rate in three years, the Commerce Department reported this week.

Meanwhile in Washington, President Barack Obama and Congress continued to increase government spending. Just in case you missed it, the national debt has topped $19 trillion. It was $10.9 trillion when Obama took office in January 2009.

Throughout the nation, individuals and families are watching the purse strings. So are many local and state governments. But not in Washington. There, Democrats call for vastly more spending, while Republicans do little to stop them – too often acquiescing.

As Ohio Gov. John Kasich – gaining ground in his run for president – puts it, “We’re fiddling around while Rome burns.”

Federal spending can be gotten under control, as Kasich knows from first-hand experience. While a member of Congress during former President Bill Clinton’s administration, Kasich had a key role in writing several balanced budgets.

While “Rome burns,” Democrat candidates for president – Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders – seem determined to throw more gasoline on the flames. Both want more, not less, government spending and higher taxes to go with it.

Kasich is right: While Islamic terrorism is a major threat to our safety, government spending threatens to bankrupt our nation.

Many Americans understand that. Why on earth do our elected officials in Washington not get it?