Right on schedule, Republicans pretend to care about deficits again
Washington Post
Opinion by Catherine Rampell
Columnist
Its almost like clockwork. As soon as a Democrat enters the White House, Republicans pretend to care about deficits again.
The one thing that concerns me that nobody seems to be talking about anymore is the massive amount of debt that we continue to rack up as a nation, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) complained during a confirmation hearing this week for Treasury Secretary-nominee Janet Yellen. For me, he continued, that is a huge warning sign on the horizon, the fact that we have an ever-growing deficit, an ever-growing debt and no apparent interest in taking the steps that are necessary to address it.
His colleague Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) likewise carped that U.S. deficit levels are frightening. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) piled on, saying that waiting for interest rates to rise to indicate that debts are unsustainable would be too late.
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And so Republicans laid the groundwork for blocking the Biden administrations request for more covid-19 fiscal relief, on the grounds that further spending is not merely unnecessary but also irresponsible. Despite ongoing economic and public health needs.
These foul-weather fiscal hawks neglect to mention, of course, that the GOPs prized 2017 tax cuts added nearly $2 trillion to deficits back when the economy was doing okay.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/right-on-schedule-republicans-pretend-to-care-about-deficits-again/2021/01/21/a749e500-5c17-11eb-a976-bad6431e03e2_story.html
msongs
(67,405 posts)RainCaster
(10,870 posts)"You know, you're right. To reduce the deficit, we will need to raise taxes on the top 1% beyond the tax break you gave them."
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,853 posts)which will improve things.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)alwaysinasnit
(5,066 posts)onecaliberal
(32,852 posts)Forfeited any right to judge ANYTHING. We do not care what they think or say.
We care what 84 million Americans think. 84 million people voted against them. Elections have consequences.
Democrats need to proceed with Americas agenda and tune out republicans. Its crystal clear republicans do not want the federal government to exist. The country is a fucking train wreck. They are nothing but noise in the background.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
Well said!!
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OldBaldy1701E
(5,126 posts)tanyev
(42,552 posts)OldBaldy1701E
(5,126 posts)a rethug says that word, everyone around him/her should just start hysterically laughing. And, the more they try to be heard saying it the more we should laugh and shake our heads.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)ugh
keithbvadu2
(36,788 posts)AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
they're hypocritical ones too!
At least now, Mitch the Mouth CAN'T block this vote, the fucking, small minded, shit-for-brains, greedy, low-life, ugly, toilet-faced asshole!!!
And THAT description is NOTHING compared to what I REALLY think of him.
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Wicked Blue
(5,832 posts)"toilet-faced asshole"
AmyStrange
(7,989 posts)-
my other lawyer just wants to rip his face off...
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twodogsbarking
(9,739 posts)Suck it up.
W T F
(1,146 posts)rickyhall
(4,889 posts)King_Klonopin
(1,306 posts)That is just the cover excuse they use for the true objection they have.
Republicans love to spend taxpayers' money.
They just hate it when the Democrats spend taxpayers' money.
Why?
They don't give a crap about the spending or the racking up of huge debt.
The issue is: WHO ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF THE MONEY?
If it goes to tax cuts for the obscene rich, defense contractors, building jails, bail-outs for banks,
then they are more than happy to run up a bill.
However, if the the money is spent on affordable housing, SNAP, public schools, healthcare for the poor,
or anything which benefits the poor or working class (IOW, those POC who are lazy and undeserving)
then they will OBJECT in feigned-concern unison.
It isn't the spending of money which they object to, it's the recipients of the money.
They just can't come out and say it directly.
Wicked Blue
(5,832 posts)The Jungle 1
(4,552 posts)Reagan promised to cut taxes, cut government spending, balance the budget and increase defense spending. America believed him!
Just like America believed trump's lies. Reagan called it trickle down economics and it did not work.
Reagan tripled the deficit and got reelected to a second term. I think we all know trump would have been reelected if not for the virus.