Staff Reports
The government’s latest spending bill is not just another document; it’s practically a textbook example of wasteful spending, stuffed to the brim with pork that would make any self-respecting pig blush. Senator Rand Paul is calling out Speaker Mike Johnson for his apparent inability to stand firm against this onslaught of extravagance, labeling him a “weak, weak man.” It seems Johnson is more about playing nice with Congress members than doing what’s right for the American people.
This labyrinthine 1,547-page bill, which miraculously appeared just days before a potential government shutdown, includes a pay raise for Congress. Yes, you read that right. While ordinary Americans grapple with rising prices at the grocery store and pump gas into their cars, Congress has decided to treat itself. The automatic bump in salaries for Congress members has been part of appropriations since 2009, but apparently, no one bothered to mention to Johnson that his role should involve stopping such nonsense instead of facilitating it.
The House Freedom Caucus didn’t mince words, calling the bill a “Cramnibus” filled with over $100 billion in spending that, incredibly, has no funding source. This kind of financial irresponsibility only serves to swell the national debt. While the politicians in D.C. enjoy their perks, the rest of the nation is left holding the bag. Rand Paul’s sentiments highlight a dire reality: the debt will keep soaring, and it seems both Democrats and their GOP friends are waving goodbye to fiscal responsibility.
Ron Paul says that the CR now before Congress is full of pork.
Have Republicans learned nothing from the landslide mandate given Trump in the election?
The people have spoken! Wake up and listen!https://t.co/PLS2mGETek
— David Joe May (@TheGrayRider) December 18, 2024
Even more alarming is the extension of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which has essentially become a tool for censoring conservative voices. Instead of promoting a fair marketplace of ideas, this center is busy funding groups that suppress conservative media like Breitbart News. Many Republicans are understandably upset, having thought that by voting for Johnson, they were backing a leader who would stand up for conservative values rather than succumbing to the status quo.
As a freshly appointed Speaker, Johnson’s ability to navigate these treacherous waters will be tested. His upcoming vote in 2025 will be a true litmus test of whether he will emerge as a champion for fiscal conservatism or continue to lead his party down the road of complacency. If the current spending bill is any indication, one can only hope he finds the spines needed to rise against the tide of waste and runaway government spending.
