Staff Reports
Congress appears to have mastered the art of last-minute panic again, attempting to shove a massive spending bill through the legislative sausage factory just before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. This behemoth measure is packed with a cavalcade of unrelated expenses that would make any frugal American cringe. President-elect Donald Trump, ever the disruptor, has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill by vocally opposing this hefty funding proposal, while also making the audacious suggestion to link it to the debate over the national debt limit.
The recent spending bill draft reportedly spans over 1,500 pages and proposes extending federal funding through March. It also contains a delightful assortment of funding for disaster relief, aid to farmers, and countless ‘pork’ projects, which are just another way of saying, “Here’s some cash for that obscure pet project you love.” Trump and his soon-to-be partner in the Oval Office, Vice President-elect JD Vance, took aim at Congress, accusing it of preparing to pass a bill that not only favors an elite group but also gives a generous pay bump to congresspeople while regular Americans brace themselves for a tough Christmas season.
Not sure why anyone is surprised. Right wing economic populism operates via the fiscal channel. Tax cuts & spending increases are the means that they utilize: Trump Calls For Abolishing Debt Limit: 'Smartest Thing' Congress Could Do | IBTimes. https://t.co/J2WXhQP2B0
— Joseph Brusuelas (@joebrusuelas) December 19, 2024
Trump criticized the proposed legislation, pointing out that it favors government censors and even gives a nod to the likes of Liz Cheney. His concerns revolve around making it easier to sweep the details of the infamous January 6 committee under the rug, a panel many believe served political interests more than the American people. In their fiery condemnation, Trump and Vance stressed that any spending bill must strip away the “Democrat giveaways” and be limited to the essentials that support U.S. farmers and set the country up for success in 2025.
Both Trump and Vance made it abundantly clear that the failure of Congress to address the national debt ceiling prior to 2025 remains a colossal misstep. They assert that increasing that limit, while not ideal, should be done now under President Biden’s administration rather than risk further complications down the road. The rationale is straightforward: if the Democrats are reluctant to cooperate now, why would future negotiations yield any better results?
On the contrary, some might think the almighty dollar cap is simply an arbitrary number determined by an overspending Congress that has skirted around it countless times in the past. The national debt limit, clumsily raised in 2021 and recently suspended, is set to snap back into action on January 1, potentially complicating plans for Trump’s forthcoming policies and priorities.
In light of the tumult, Speaker Mike Johnson has apparently decided to hit the brakes on the spending bill, responding to a wave of discontent from both Trump supporters and some House Republicans. It seems Johnson is mulling over a straightforward “Plan B,” which involves simply extending current funding levels without all those extra bells and whistles. However, the specifics of how Trump’s heightened focus on the debt limit will fit into this plan remain uncertain, leaving many conservative minds wondering what the next move will be in this ongoing high-stakes game of legislative poker.
