The so-called DOGE brothers of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy appear to have scored the first victory in their war against wasteful government spending, and President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t even taken office yet.
Congressional leaders had struck a “bipartisan” deal to fund the government until March 14 through what’s called a continuing resolution, but quite a few add-ons were included, making what should only have been a few-page bill roughly 1,500 pages long.
First, it’s a good rule of thumb that when “bipartisan” is used to describe a piece of legislation, that means Republicans have rolled over and Democrats are getting most, if not all, of what they want.
A true Republican lawmaker — not one in name only — is always looking for ways to cut spending and decrease the size and power of the federal government.
This CR did the opposite.
Ramaswamy, who will co-chair Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, listed four of the most idiotic things tacked on to a bill that was supposed to simply keep the current spending levels in place until the new GOP Congress takes over next month and gets to work.
The CR included a hefty pay raise for members of Congress, up from the current $174,000-per-year salary.
Should Speaker Mike Johnson be removed from his leadership position?
Yes: 82% (782 Votes)
No: 18% (168 Votes)
It expanded federal health care benefits. Further, it called for opening a new NFL stadium in Washington, D.C. and renewed the Global Engagement Center established during the final year of President Barack Obama’s administration.
The center, which is part of the State Department, “is tasked with countering foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation targeting the United States and U.S. interests,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
Ramaswamy called the center a “key node of the censorship industrial complex.”
Real-time advice to Congress: go back to the drawing board, start with a blank slate & do this the right way. There’s still time for forgiveness. https://t.co/O9P9wWXZ5E
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 18, 2024
So that’s four ridiculous things.
There were also some “woke” provisions in the CR to satisfy Democrats. It replaced the word “offender” of federal crimes to “justice-involved individual.”
Makes you wonder who wrote this thing. https://t.co/ZC9vDb7c2k
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 18, 2024
The bill would have also broadened the definition of “United States person” to include “any person in the United States,” i.e. not just citizens or lawful resident aliens.
Finally, the legislation would have replaced “homeless individuals” with “individuals experiencing homelessness.”
REPORT: @SpeakerJohnson‘s Continuing Resolution Completely Solves America’s Homeless Problem Once & For All By Changing “Homeless Individuals” To “People Experiencing Homelessness” They Do The Same For Homeless Children.
WHEW! THANK GOD, THEY FINALLY SOLVED THE HOMELESS ISSUE! pic.twitter.com/EcmmqH4TT0— John Basham (@JohnBasham) December 19, 2024
All three instances above are typical silly leftist changes in language to make people less responsible for their actions.
Musk declared victory on Wednesday afternoon, posting, “Your elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead.”
Your elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead. The voice of the people has triumphed!
VOX POPULI
VOX DEI— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2024
“The voice of the people has triumphed!” he added.
The bill is dead and Johnson and other leaders are reportedly working on a “clean” — or at least cleaner — CR that likely includes funding the government, extending the debt ceiling, disaster relief and a provision for farmers.
That is what Trump supports.
VP-ELECT VANCE: “What the President believes is that we should support a clean CR, so long as it contains a debt limit increase. That’s the position of the President & that’s what we’re going to try to push for.”pic.twitter.com/FZq0LEpkNk
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 18, 2024
Hopefully, this will be the first of many DOGE victories that will bring the federal government back to operating within its means.
Interest costs on U.S. federal debt:
2024: $1.05 trillion (so far)
2023: $879 billion
2022: $718 billion
2021: $562 billion
2020: $523 billion
2019: $573 billion
2018: $522 billion
2017: $457 billion
2016: $430 billionSource: Treasury Dept
— Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) December 19, 2024
The future of the U.S. economy and its position as superpower for good depends on it.
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