Here are two things I’m very, very tired of: Hearing how deadly important it is that we send billions more taxpayer dollars to fix the problems of other countries and watching my own country degrade and decay while being told everything is fine.
The federal government is allegedly in some sort of high-stakes standoff between House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the White House over yet another request from Joe Biden to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine and Israel. Politico on Monday summarized the supposed conflict, writing that “the White House is insisting that its multifaceted funding request move in one piece due to fears that separating out Israel funding — with its overwhelming bipartisan support — would mean letting the more controversial Ukraine aid languish.”
In total, Biden is asking Congress for more than $100 billion in spending, the vast majority of which would go to his precious Ukraine, a few billion to Israel, and then something like ten bucks for “border security.” The problem for him, however, is that handing fistfuls of cash to President Zelenskyy(yyy) isn’t too popular with voters anymore — especially Republican voters. Knowing this, House Speaker Mike Johnson has offered to get money for Israel on its own and with nothing attached. That’s called “expressing the will of the people.” There was even the added bonus of making the funds available only if it came from spending that was already scheduled for elsewhere — in this case, on the IRS.
As for the Democrat-controlled Senate, Leader Charles Schumer is naturally backing Biden by preemptively rejecting Johnson’s offer and telling senators they “should be prepared to stay in Washington” until they pass “a funding bill to ensure we as well as our friends and partners in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region have the necessary military capabilities to confront and deter our adversaries and competitors.” In other words, it’s going to be all or nothing.
Well, don’t threaten me with a good time!
I’m curious as to what leverage Biden and Schumer believe they have on the matter. A plurality of Americans say the U.S. is offering “too much” support for Ukraine. That’s been the case since at least June. The Democratic Party is bluntly divided on aiding Israel, with some elected officials openly supporting the nation’s enemy.
Meanwhile, in America, where we’re treated by Washington with Spirit Airlines-level service, prices on basic goods continue to climb, the Southern border has collapsed, and to step outside the house is to risk getting mugged and murdered.
It’s Bidenomics, folks! Bottom up, middle out, folks! It just works, folks!
Precisely where is anyone supposed to find the urgency to send another round of money to yet another country when everything here sucks? And precisely what is the threat for those who won’t? That the Senate will have to work through Christmas?
Be my guest!
Admittedly, expectations for Republicans should never be higher than Stephen Hawking could jump. Maybe Johnson will cave, and the American taxpayer will be forced to send more of their dollars elsewhere, all while watching their family get poorer and their city less safe. Those things apparently don’t matter so long as Ukraine and Israel aren’t taken care of first.
If forcing senators to stay in Washington for Christmas, away from their families, is what it takes, that’s a price everyone should be willing to pay, especially Speaker Johnson. Let Biden and Democrats explain why the welfare of other countries is more important than ours.