Michael D Brown

I never thought David Obey and I would agree on something... but he raises a good point in his recent "Dear Colleague" letter to other members of the House of Representatives.  The GOP is being hypocritical when it opposes spending bills that include pork barrel projects they have lobbied for but then vote against when they know the Democrats' majority in Congress will pass the bill anyway.

Is it any wonder that Congressional spending is out of control?  What Congressman is willing to stop earmarks?  Obama talks about putting earmarks on the Internet for everyone to see (which is fine) but does nothing to cajole Congress into stopping the practice of earmarks or pork barrel spending.  Like a bunch of addicts holed up in some sleazy meth house, these men and women just continue spending with total disregard to the United States' tenuous fiscal condition.

Obey (D-Wisconsin) (and a very liberal Democrat at that) writes:

I feel compelled to point out the irony that some members demand that programs be fully funded and then decline to support the bill that carries out that request.

It has been my experience that a number of members who profess concern about the Great Lakes in fact voted against the bill which contained that funding when it came before the House last year. I would ask whether that is enough to give hypocrisy a bad name.

[The Wisconsin congressman on to say that Great Lakes funding is one of his] "highest priorities, "[b]ut, sometimes, there are good reasons to trim even the programs we care most about.

I would have some difficulty taking seriously members who pose for political holy pictures by sending letters asking for increased funding and then vote against that legislation that requested funding. I understand there are huge temptations in this institution to try to have it both ways. But, in a tight budget year, that is going to be very hard even for the most spectacularly inconsistent of members.

Of course, David Obey doesn't object to the spending, he just objects to the hypocrisy.  So perhaps I half-agree with Obey:  the hypocrisy needs to stop.  If Congress is ever going to get control over spending, it needs to stop spending, period. 

How about a budget freeze?  Or, a budget freeze and a 2.5% or 5% cut across all programs, all spending?  Yes, even DoD, Social Security, Medicare.  Imagine how the markets would react with just the spending freeze, let alone a budget cut.

Until then, China, Japan and the Middle East will continue to purchase our debt, creating a serious national security issue for the U.S.

The addicts need treatment.  Now.

You can read Obey's letter and the article on Huffington Post at this link.