Democrats Save the Clown Caucus (again)

Last evening the House passed a Continuing Resolution to keep the government functioning through March. Almost all Democrats voted yea, saving the U.S. from a government shutdown over the holidays and saving Republicans from their pitiful selves. Ben Cline did the right thing this time voting for the CR.

The mess erupted a couple days ago when shadow president Elon Musk objected to a bipartisan CR. He was then joined by President-in-waiting Donald Trump and that negotiated deal collapsed. Musk (and Trump) notably demanded an increase in the debt ceiling now rather than in mid 2025 when Republicans will have control of the White House along with the House and Senate. That demand was NOT included in the CR that passed setting up an interesting and bitter intra-party fight next year. Chaos averted for Christmas but it isn’t gone for long!

The CR that passed did cut a small amount of dollars from the budget… not budget busting items but very real programs that help the American people. All of this to appease Elon. A few examples (from Bryan Tyler Cohen):

• GABRIELLA MILLER KIDS FIRST RESEARCH ACT 2.0, which provides funding for pediatric cancer research.

• The GIVE KIDS A CHANCE ACT, to provide studies of new cancer drugs

• ACCELERATING ACCESS TO CARE ACT to streamline out-of-state treatment for medically complex kids

• SUPPORT ACT promoting Opioid recovery and treatment

• PANDEMIC AND ALL HAZARDS PREPAREDNESS ACT

• Restrictions on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, who often overcharge patients

Some Republicans (like Bobblehead Ben) will boast of the dollars saved, but in reality the savings is small and the hurt is real. This is foreshadowing the mess we are in for the future… an eccentric billionaire able to control a weak minded (actual) president while corralling a herd of House cats.

We have gotten the government we deserve… chaos theory 101.

Why we'll have a hard time bringing down the debt

Governor Bob McDonnell and virtually all of the Commonwealth's elected leaders of both parties have unwittingly demonstrated why getting a handle on the federal deficit and debt will be so difficult. The governor and Virginia's congressional delegation are lobbying the Pentagon and taking to the air waves to argue against plans to close/downscale military bases and cut military jobs in the state. Those same leaders, almost to a person, talk of the need to cut federal spending and to reduce the debt... but like political leaders everywhere, they don't want to take the hit.

The governor talked about protecting national security (hey, that's the Pentagon's job, not the governor's) and the impact on the Virginia economy. But, the real reason is likely their own job security and political futures.

The USA will never fix our budget imbalances until those who scream loudest for spending cuts are willing to take willing to take some cuts themselves. It can't always be tax the other guy and spend the money on me. Where are politicians who will look beyond their immediate needs to the bigger picture of our common good? Where are the American people willing to do so? Don't tell me it is tea partiers... the one I know best is already screaming "don't touch my Social Security or Medicare... don't raise my taxes...."

Look in the mirror, Bob

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) has just sent out an email calling on President Barack Obama to exercise fiscal disciple to rebuild the American economy. The congressman worries that Obama's freeze will "only lock in the out of control deficit spending levels that have been enacted."

If so, the freeze will be locking in the excesses of the Bush years when Republicans controlled both or one house of Congress. Among their "accomplishments" after inheriting a budget surplus of $236 billion:

• Bush and the GOP expanded the federal budget by some $700 billion.
• Bush launched two expensive wars in which we remain mired.
• Bush started the bailouts of the financial industry.
• Bush and the GOP presided over a $2.5 trillion increase in the federal debt.

Where were today's Republican advocates (like see-no-Republican-evil-Bob) of fiscal restraint when President Bush ran up the red ink adding more debt than all previous presidents and leaving us with a financial crisis worse than any since the Great Depression. If you want to place blame for deficits, debt, and our struggling economy, look first in the mirror, Bob.