As politically polarizing as our times are, I’m continuously struck by how indistinguishable the Republican and Democrat Parties are.
As my colleague Joe Cunningham wrote earlier Monday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy boldly built a two-foot dam in front of a tidal wave and proclaimed that he’d really done America a service:
The text of the bill, which was released last night, confirms that spending is frozen at Fiscal Year 2022 levels, but there doesn’t appear to be a dollar limit to the debt ceiling increase that comes along with that. Conservatives are upset about this fact, as well as just how little the White House ultimately had to give up in exchange for the increase.
What’s more, McCarthy is doubling-down in the face of this criticism.
Some of the things Republicans called for, like expanded work requirements for SNAP benefits, did make it into the bills. It also clawed back unspent COVID-19 relief funds. But those savings pale in comparison to the one percent non-military spending increase allowed next year, much less other problematic spending initiatives like the green subsidies in the (so-called) Inflation Reduction Act.
This prompted Utah Senator Mike Lee to send out the following tweet which might describe the problem with Republicans perfectly: “With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?”
Loyal readers will know that I spend quite a bit of time fighting the culture war and I think that the fight against woke culture should be one of our top priorities. Indeed, Republicans in office do spend time denouncing and resisting it, which is great.
But drawing a line in the sand against cultural Marxism is the easiest part of the job. If your Republicanism ends where our economic troubles begin, then denouncing woke culture means absolutely nothing. Republicanism isn’t just resisting the left, it’s being a responsible steward of the economy. If our economy is absolute garbage, good only for burning to keep our enemies warm, then we’re just conservatives and Marxist fighting over a smoldering ash heap.
If all you’re good for is denouncing CRT and making fun of AOC, then you’re no better than the virtue signalers we’re constantly mocking and making fun of. Damn your viral tweet! Do you really want to own the libs? Deny them the country’s credit card.
How the Republican Party could continue to call itself the party of fiscal responsibility is beyond me if this goes through. This isn’t anything short of a victory for Democrats, proving that Republicans can still be the best players on their opponent’s teams when the rubber needs to meet the road.
This spending spree McCarthy handed to Democrats could have untold ramifications down the line, especially with our nation already so deep in debt that digging our way out looks damn near impossible. Sadly, it only seems damn near impossible because the people who are supposed to be holding the shovels are using them to pile $4 trillion in cash on the Democrats.
Moreover, the Democrats wouldn’t have to justify their spending to the people when election time comes. All they have to do is point to the Republicans and say “They gave it to us.”
I’m not sure what the point of McCarthy is. We were told to give him a chance and he’s had it. He failed when put to the test as many had predicted. He’s giving Democrats the ability to spend at radical levels and make our children’s children’s children pay for it.
McCarthy is a new face on an old GOP problem of caving to the Democrats, and if the GOP doesn’t vote against him, then there is no GOP.