Republicans, the Atrocious Omnibus Bill, & the Platform that Doesn’t Matter

We have too many awful Republicans in Washington. Can we just admit it? I know it’s uncomfortable. I don’t like saying it. But those in the party who categorize themselves as conservatives, constitutionalists, or libertarian need to accept this– if the acceptance hasn’t happened already.

Must we look any further than the historic mark our nation recently passed of $21 Trillion in debt, as an example of just how bad things are? That means every citizen – man, woman, and child – in the United States owes $64,287. In addition, we now have a deficit of nearly $732 Billion. And all of it’s climbing. If you don’t believe me, you can grab a box of tissues and watch the madness here. We are literally stealing the future of our own posterity to satisfy the selfish demands of today. Few things are more despicable.

Things have become so bad in Washington that it’s projected interest alone on the debt will reach nearly $1 Trillion per year in the next decade. This isn’t funny, people. In fact, it’s downright unsustainable. I don’t know when, but it will end– like it or not. We need to reverse course or the suffering will be worse than it has to be.

But instead of reversing course, what does a majority of Republicans in Washington do? You know. It happened last week. With just 24 hours to read a 2,232 page bill, many in the party of “limited government” and “fiscal responsibility” – the same one that ridiculed Democrats for “we have to read it to find out what’s in it” – partnered with Democrats to pass a $1.3 Trillion omnibus bill. And then President Trump signed it. I suppose it’s fitting that this took place on the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law. Awful.

The justification for their actions included that it was necessary to avoid a government shutdown and that it provides additional funding for the military. Well, it’s certainly true that it accomplished both, but at what cost? Senate Minority Leader Church Schumer (D – NY) was as happy as a little boy at Christmas-time:

“Overall, we Democrats are very happy with what we have been able to accomplish on a number of very important priorities to the middle class in America.”

Oh, and he didn’t stop there. As if he’d just won an award, Schumer doled out thanks like he does other people’s money:

“I want to thank Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan, and their staffs, leader Pelosi and her team, Chairman Cochran, Vice Chairman Leahy and the appropriations committee staff and many others for all the hard work that went into this bill.”

And why wouldn’t he be giddy? As one of Capitol Hill’s biggest spendthrift’s, he got what he wanted. Heck, these pathetic excuses for Republicans even let the bill slide with funding for Planned Parenthood. Yes, that same Planned Parenthood that was responsible for 321,384 abortions in 2016-2017. Not to mention the fact that they’re being investigated by our own Department of Justice for selling baby parts. No big deal, right?

Wrong. It’s a big deal. It’s sick. And Republicans went along with it. Even our very own Republican Senator John Hoeven joined with High-Five Heidi Heitkamp in voting for the bill. Unbelievable.

I cannot help but wonder, why does the Republican Party even bother having a platform? Seriously. These lying thieves don’t follow it. Unfortunately, there’s a myriad of examples proving this, but the debt is a perfect one. Consider this statement from the last paragraph of page 8 in the Republican Party Platform:

“Our national debt is a burden on our economy and families. The huge increase in the national debt demanded by and incurred during the current Administration has placed a significant burden on future generations. We must impose firm caps on future debt, accelerate the repayment of the trillions we now owe in order to reaffirm our principles of responsible and limited government, and remove the burdens we are placing on future generations.

“A strong economy is one key to debt reduction, but spending restraint is a necessary component that must be vigorously pursued.”

Of course, the “current Administration” spoken of at the time this was written was that of President Barrack Obama. Republicans begged for the House, Senate, and the Oval Office. Promises were made, and America gave them what they asked for. This was pointed out to President Trump in a letter from the House Freedom Caucus:

“The funding proposal drafted by House and Senate leadership not only forgets the promises we made to the voters– it outright rejects them.”

So true. And what’s given in return? More of the same.

Then there’s this statement from page 13 of the platform:

“We oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare.”

So much for that. The sad thing is that these aren’t the only examples. In fact, there’s too many to discuss here.

Enough is enough. I not only believe these traitors should be removed from office, but they should be booted from the party. After all, what would any other organization do to its members who openly and often seek to undermine the purpose of that organization’s existence? Any honest person knows the answer.

The majority of this crop of Republicans aren’t going to stand for limited constitutional government. And the Democrats sure as heck aren’t either. Will we ever learn our lesson? Is there any hope for Washington?

 

Sources:

  1. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/under-donald-trump-national-debt-tops-21-trillion-for-first-time-ever/
  2. http://www.usdebtclock.org
  3. http://www.crfb.org/blogs/interest-spending-course-quadruple
  4. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/us/politics/house-passes-spending-bill.html
  5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-monstrosity-of-a-spending-bill-will-badly-hurt-republicans/2018/03/26/307fbe1e-3135-11e8-8abc-22a366b72f2d_story.html?utm_term=.0db58b177b81
  6. https://news.grabien.com/story-schumer-heaps-praise-gop-omnibus-bill-era-austerity-coming-e
  7. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/d4/50/d450c016-a6a9-4455-bf7f-711067db5ff7/20171229_ar16-17_p01_lowres.pdf
  8. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-u.s.-department-of-justice-investigating-planned-parenthood-for-se
  9. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/s63
  10. https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/static/home/data/platform.pdf
  11. https://twitter.com/RepMarkMeadows/status/976795796090834945
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.