“Continuing resolution” is a fancy term for “Cheating the people,” or, “Welfare for those who don’t need it.”
Congress has not produced a real budget in decades. Instead, our so-called representatives approve “continuing resolutions.” Rather than paying attention to the needs of the nation and its people, Congress “continues” programs and budgets from previous years, thereby avoiding constitutional responsibility to think about, debate and improve last year’s effort.
Congress ignores its constitutional responsibility to adjust funding as conditions change. The exceptions are programs providing welfare for a select few. For instance, continuing resolutions often include increases in defense spending (corporate welfare), tax reduction (welfare for the wealthy) and deregulation (welfare for those who fund elections).
Continuing resolutions rarely add revenue to cover the increases. Instead, the nation is forced to borrow money to pay for added spending. It makes sense to borrow for wars and other emergencies, but it makes little sense to borrow for defense spending, tax reduction and deregulation — especially when the economy is performing well.
The national debt is currently about $20 trillion … and growing. Every year we spend almost $300 billion for interest on the debt. Most of that interest money goes to foreign nations Congress doesn’t like (such as China) and wealthy Americans Congress likes too much. It’s one more welfare program for the top 1 percent. (Some will tell you ordinary people benefit from these tax-free interest payments — but don’t you believe them.)
Imagine what we could do with that $300 billion interest we give away! We could add another 50 percent to the $600 billion spent on education by all 50 states combined. Or we could begin to deal with our crumbling transportation, utility and water systems. Or we could stop forest fires before they destroy structures and impose emotional (and economic) costs for the damage they do. Or we could provide better health care for those who need it, focusing more on prevention than treatment. Or we could figure out why our middle class — the forgotten class — is no longer in the “middle,” but somewhere closer to the bottom.
The point is that we could use that $300 billion interest for something the nation needs rather than lining the pockets of those whose pockets are already platinum.
But first, Congress must have the good sense, the common sense, the horse sense to find and allocate a few dollars toward paying off the debt rather than shirking congressional responsibility with “continuing resolutions.” Congress must shift policies that provide good times for a few into sensible fiscal policies that provide breaks for the many. One of those breaks should be a start toward turning interest payments for foreign investors into meaningful payments for the people of this nation.
In the past, we often resorted to inflation in order to give the false impression that the debt was under control. When we flood the economy with more dollars, it looks as if the debt is less onerous. But a $10 loaf of bread does not provide more nutrition than a $3 loaf. Inflation makes the debt look smaller, relatively, but it penalizes the elderly, those on fixed incomes and the poor.
“Continuing resolutions” may reward Congress, but they punish the nation’s economy and its people.
Don Gale.
Don Gale remembers when bread was 25 cents a loaf and national debt was a tool for good government, not an escape clause for an irresponsible Congress.