just passed – and President Biden just signed – the latest short-term government funding bill to keep the government running.
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The bill, which essentially kicks it off later, ensures that taxpayers will continue to pay for a bloated government through January, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) said. said: “…avoiding a (government) shutdown is so far from mission accomplished. We have a lot of work to do once the dust settles and before the next shutdown is due.
In the past, this false government shutdown scenario involved preserving all current spending while adding new debt. It is unlikely that this time it will be much different.
Because this “work” is unlikely to include reforming Social Security and Medicare – the main drivers of the debt – fiscally conservative Republicans should focus on other spending to shaming profligate spendthrifts (which sadly includes too many Republicans) and informing voters that their tax dollars and borrowed money are being wasted.
Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW.org), has compiled a list of proposed reductions that should serve as a starting point.
How about removing or eliminating $196 million for the International Fund for Ireland? The money was spent on projects including pony trekking centers and golf videos.
Speaking of golf, the Pentagon announced last year that it would spend $5.1 million to build a new golf course at Joint Base Andrews, while there are already 19 military golf courses in the region. Washington.
An unnecessary expense has been eliminated. That was $440,000 for attendants to press buttons on automated elevators at the Capitol Hill complex.
The National Endowment for the Humanities wasted $4.2 million to conduct a “National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity.” No one spoke to me about this subject. You?
The Pentagon and the CIA hired psychics, hoping that they would provide specific information on various foreign threats. I had a feeling about this. Cost: $11 million.
One of my favorites was a study to determine the quality of life in Hawaii. It cost us $187,042.
Then there was the $40 million in fake food stamp applications. Five Floridians stole $20 million from Medicare, part of the $17 billion in annual Medicare fraud. Too many members of Congress don’t seem to care because it’s not their money they’re spending.
If Republicans started from these extremes, which, taken in total, represent relatively small amounts of money for the debt, they might be better positioned to cut spending on the behemoths of Social Security and Medicare. They could also encourage people to check the US debt clock.
Morgan Stanley, the financial advisory firm, summed up the debt threat we face in a recent article on its website: “The current federal debt is already enormous, at more than $33 trillion, a staggering peak since World War II, representing 122% of domestic GDP. product (GDP). A recent Treasury report showed the government spent $659 billion in net interest in the fiscal year ending in September, about 39% more than the same period the previous year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these interest expenses could double over the next decade, meaning the U.S. government could spend more on interest payments than on other major budget categories such as defense. Growing national debt may not only increase borrowing costs for everyone, but it could also crowd out funding for other priorities. “.
In the past, debt has been a major contributor to the decline and, in some cases, collapse of nations. What makes our country believe that we can ignore basic economic rules and not suffer the same consequences?
This comment from Cal Thomas is his opinion. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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