Authored by Thomas W. Smith via RealClearPolitics,
For most of the past six decades, the United States has been facing the threat of implosion from a growing federal budget deficit. Today, that threat is no longer lurking. It is here. The annual federal budget deficit has left Americans saddled with unimaginable debt. It has increased more than sixfold in the last 20 years. Today it is on steroids. This year, interest on the federal debt will be approximately $1.1 trillion. By comparison, our annual defense budget is $850 billion.
Think of the exciting opportunities Republicans had when they narrowly captured control of the House of Representatives in 2022. Unfortunately, even before they were sworn in, the House leadership called for a secret vote on how to spend taxpayer dollars. By a vote of 158-2, they brought back to life earmarks that had been put to bed under Speaker John Boehner in 2011. Earmarks are special appropriations tailored to member’s pet projects. Historically, they were known as “pork-barrel” spending.
After a secret vote, those 158 GOP members enabled a system in which 7,500 pork-barrel projects were enacted at a cost to the taxpayers of $16 billion. It was not only – or even primarily – liberal “tax and spend” Democrats pigging out. Fifty of the largest earmarkers in the House were Republicans. In the Senate, eight of the 12 largest offenders were Republicans. Nor was it only established Republicans. Some of the largest MAGA voices were busy pushing earmarks. They include Florida representatives Matt Gaetz (who requested over $1 billion) and Brian Mast (who received some $437 million).