Haake: For the freedom caucus, chaos is the point – Chicago Tribune

Complaining about the nations budget after your party spent like drunk sailors on leave is bad theater, more farce than substance.

After Republicans added an obscene $8 trillion to the nations tab under the Trump administration, the Freedom Caucus forced a debt ceiling showdown only four months ago. Now the same thirsty clowns are back, blaming Democrats for decades of deficit both parties built equally.

The Freedom Caucus has twice blocked the GOPs Pentagon spending bill, one of 12 annual spending bills, from even coming up for debate, in a major rebuke to Speaker McCarthy. They also rejected a 30-day stop gap measure to allow more time to work it out.

Were not interested in a continuing resolution that continues the policies and spendings of the Biden, Schumer, Pelosi era, the Freedom Caucus chair recently said of McCarthys request for a 30-day stop gap measure. Were here to put our foot down

Its hard to decide whats worse, the drama or the hypocrisy. They are not mutually exclusive.

The Freedom Caucus says it will fight with everything that we have. Calling their budget demands the No Security, No Funding plan, the caucus isnt worried about a government shutdown. Its all about MAGA messaging on a nation they fervently wish were in decline. According to Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana, a government shut down would be small compared to the principle battle that were in. We are not going to casually fund the decline of our country.

To address so-called decline, their plan demands an overall reduction in spending levels, including cuts in aid to Ukraine; a bill to construct more wall at the southern border and restrict asylum seekers; an end to woke policies in the military like abortion accommodations; and the elimination of the unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI by cutting DOJ funding. Caucus enthusiasm is unhindered by the lack of evidence tying Biden to Trumps many criminal indictments, the fact that Trump tried to turn the DOJ into his personal weapon, or by Trumps explicit promise, if he is re-elected, to appoint a real special prosecutor to target the Biden crime family.

McCarthy, who made the mistake of bargaining with hijackers to get his speakership in the first place, parrots their interest in reducing the nations spending, which, he says, is like a family earning $24,000 a year, but spending $35,000. The greatest threat to our nations future, McCarthy now says, is our national debt.

Twice-weekly

News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday

Too bad McCarthy and the Freedom Caucus couldnt find such fiscal restraint during the four years Trump was in office.

The Freedom Caucus fiscal restraint was only triggered when a Democrat entered the White House. Since 2001, both parties have caused the federal deficit to grow through evenly divided Democrat and Republican presidencies. However, as former GOP congressman David Jolly noted, Roughly 25% of our total national debt incurred over the last 230 years actually occurred during the 4 years of the Trump administration. As Trump intelligently explained, This is the United States government you never have to default because you print the money.

McCarthy and the Freedom Caucus ignore that the national debt is driven by tax policy as much as spending. Following the Trump administrations staggering $2.3 trillion tax giveaway to corporations and the nations wealthy, Trump told his rich donor friends, You all just got a lot richer. Its a gift we are all continuing to pay for, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office calculating that Republicans tax cuts will continue to increase the national debt by another $1.9 trillion over the next 11 years.

The national debt now sits at $33 trillion, and for all their bluster about cutting entitlements, Republicans cant seem to stop gushing money for their donors.

They reduced the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, gifting corporations with a 40% reduction in their tax burden in 2017. Tax cuts drive national debt, but the No Security, No Funding plan makes no mention of clawing back their gifts to the rich.

With limited time remaining until October 1, the start of the new fiscal year, Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution, or a short-term extension on government funding, to buy more time for lawmakers to work out a spending package. Heres hoping McCarthy takes a cue from the Senate, works out a bipartisan budget thrilling to no one, and brings a vote on a continuing resolution to keep the government running to call his tormentors bluff. If the clown car shuts down the government, at least the nation will know their names.

Sabrina Haake is a Chicago attorney and Gary resident. She writes the Substack newsletter The Haake Take.

Link:

Haake: For the freedom caucus, chaos is the point - Chicago Tribune