Dracula and Spending Cuts

Among the top priorities for newly selected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-L A ) was his announced intention to form a bipartisan panel to cut massive spending that has led to an unsustainable $33 trillion national debt. The pragmatist in me cheers, but the cynic in me says asking Congress to cut spending is like asking Dracula to cut back on his consumption of blood. Spending helps keep members in office. Rather than solving problems and cutting the debt, staying in office seems to be all that matters to many of them.

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In addition to the worthless slogan that members are only “bringing home the bacon” (more like pork in many cases) and getting a “fair share” for their districts and states, spending contributes to their careers, which the Founders foresaw as limited service in Washington before they returned to real jobs.

I have longed to see Cabinet Members and Members of Congress come before committees and defend their proposals for new spending. They should be asked how current and past spending has, or has not, achieved the goals stated in their legislation and agencies. Often there are no goals in the legislation. It’s spending for the sake

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