Politicians Won’t Solve Our Spending Problem Unless We Make Them

Last Friday, House Republicans began the 119th Congress by keeping Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) as Speaker of the House. Most Republicans supported Johnson, including moderates, Trump loyalists, and members of the fiscally conservative Freedom Caucus, with only Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie voting against him. Massie faced criticism from establishment media and Trump supporters for his dissent.

In his speech, Johnson made bold promises to reduce government size and spending. However, past experiences suggest that these promises may be difficult to fulfill. During the previous Congress, some representatives tried to change procedures related to spending cuts. Republicans like Matt Gaetz and Chip Roy advocated for eliminating omnibus bills and continuing resolutions, which group the entire federal budget into one vote. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, had agreed to present separate budget bills to win support from the Freedom Caucus but reverted to promoting omnibus bills as the funding deadline approached, leading to his removal in October.

After Johnson became speaker, he made a weak attempt to address concerns by splitting a major spending bill into two. The Freedom Caucus opposed this because they felt it ignored their previous agreement on budget processes. However, Democrats helped pass the two bills. Republicans often talk about spending cuts during campaigns, but few actually commit to these cuts once in office. Many Republicans avoided making tough decisions, willing to face government shutdown consequences.

After a month, Johnson aligned with establishment Republicans and supported a renewed FISA authorization along with $95 billion in military aid for President Biden, which received praise from the media. Recently, Johnson attempted to pass a large spending bill but faced backlash from Trump and had to remove most of the extra spending. Despite these efforts, he still turned to Democrats for passing a continuing resolution with $110 billion in new spending.

In short, Johnson and his GOP allies have shown a lack of determination to make necessary spending cuts, just as McCarthy did. They appear to succumb to various pressures instead of adhering to their principles. Massie’s refusal to support Johnson stems from his consistent commitment to his beliefs, even facing severe backlash for his stance on issues like government spending and foreign aid.

Massie represents the type of courage lacking in most Congress members. If more representatives stood firmly by their principles as he does, the fiscal situation could be improved. Johnson's re-election highlights that many politicians only pretend to be principled until it becomes difficult. It is essential for citizens to apply pressure on Congress to ensure they follow through on their proclaimed intentions regarding spending cuts. 

https://mises.org/mises-wire/politicians-wont-solve-our-spending-problem-unless-we-make-them