Levy: The $1.7 trillion federal omnibus disaster

You would think that with inflation reaching a 40 year high that our leaders in Washington would get the hint to stop spending like drunken sailors. But alas, that would be asking them to do something contrary to their DNA.

In the waning hours of the 117th Congress last month, our representatives passed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that will dig our nation’s debt and deficit holes even deeper while further fueling inflation. The deal was passed courtesy of the then existing Democratic majority in Washington, aided by several Republican senators to put it over the hump.

Republicans got their massive 10% increase in defense spending, while Democrats got a record 9% increase in domestic spending. You would’ve thought that the Republicans would have delayed this vote until January when they control the House and would have more leverage to implement spending controls. But this process just goes to show that both sides of the aisle love their special district projects.

And that’s the disturbing aspect of these omnibus bills.

In the past, Congress would make their appropriations through a dozen or so bills throughout the year. That seems to be a thing of a bygone era. The new modus operandi is to wait until the end of the year and pile all their wish lists into a single “Big Ugly” bill.

There’s something for everyone in there, as well as a great deal of garbage that on its own would never get passed due to their dubious worth. The omnibus gives leverage to the legislative leaders to bribe reluctant legislators to vote for the package or not get anything for their districts. Basically, it’s all or nothing.

According to Matthew Dickinson of the Daily Signal, here are some of the more questionable expenditures:

$1.2 million for “support services for DACA recipients” (aka helping illegal aliens with taxpayer funds) at San Diego Community College.

$477,000 for the Equity Institute in Rhode Island to indoctrinate teachers with “antiracism virtual labs.”

$1 million for Zora’s House in Ohio, a “coworking and community space” for “women and gender-expansive people of color.”

$3.6 million for a Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia.

$956,000 for “The Equity Incubator at the Universities at Shady Grove” in Maryland.

$791,200 for “equitable energy resilience and EV infrastructure” in Sonoma, California.

Rep. Dan Bishop notes there were expenditures for:

$410 million to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman for tighter border security, while funding for the U.S. border wall is explicitly prohibited.

$65 million “for necessary expenses associated with the restoration of Pacific salmon populations.”

If our elected leaders believe these costs are justified, let them argue for them on an individual basis and not have them lumped into a single bill.  This is why our nation is wallowing in a $31 trillion pool of debt.

Steve Levy is executive director of the Center for Cost Effective Government. He served as Suffolk County executive, as a NYS assemblyman, and host of “The Steve Levy Radio Show.”