Greg Snyder
January 16, 2018 ·
Do you remember when we never heard much about Congress passing a federal budget? It used to just happen quietly, without any fighting, or threats, or deadlock, or ultimatums, or continuing resolutions. Congress used to just do its job.
Last year I remember one of the sticking points was that Trump and the republicans wanted to increase the defense budget by $150 billion dollars originally and I think they finally settled on $80 billion. To do that, the republicans, if I remember correctly, wanted to cut funding for Meals on Wheels and take away the one hot meal that millions of poor shut-in, mostly elderly people depend on as their one hot meal of the day. Also, on the republican chopping block, if I remember correctly, were Planned Parenthood, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Affairs and budget. I can’t remember what deal the two parties arrived at last year to finally pass the budget after it had passed the deadline to do so on time. But, I do believe that Trump and the republicans did in fact get an increase of the defense budget of something like $80 billion dollars.
This year, the deadline for passing the federal budget is quickly approaching and the republicans want to increase the budget for defense yet again. Are we in an expensive war that I don’t know about? Democrats want DACA preserved. I don’t know how much money is needed to preserve DACA, it’s a promise that this country made to millions or people, dreamers and their families. I don’t know how much money it takes to preserve a promise. But, it’s part of the budget deliberations and rightfully so if that is the only way that it can be brought up for discussion in the tightly controlled republican process. Trump also still wants his insanity wall built and for American tax payers to foot that bill. So, that’s there too.
Tell me. Does this seem sane and normal to you? An increase in defense spending? Really? Why? The only thing I can come up with is that the republicans are trying to throw as many bones to their donors as they can, and the defense sector of the economy is a big sector of the economy that the republicans want to make sure and continue to cultivate so that those funds don’t dry up on them. It’s all about the money. That’s what’s important. It doesn’t matter that the product is death and destruction. Not at all.
Posted on Leave a comment on The high drama of the partisan budget battles
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