Dear Editor.
Are our Republican House Representatives Ben Cline & Morgan Griffith anti-inflation reduction or anti-national security?
First, the Republicans in the House, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, are insisting that a proposed bill/law have only one purpose, and all in the bill be germane to the stated purpose. For instance, if a bill is to procure funding for infrastructure improvement (repairing bridges, & roads), it should not contain any amendments for any other purpose, like monies for FBI pay increases, or for transgender surgeries on soldiers, or for aborting unborn children – such amendments being called ‘pork’.
Buried in the 750 pages long misnomered Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), is much pork, which is why every House Republican voted against it…even before Republicans reclaimed the House majority. Democrat spokespersons spouted: ”Republicans are against reducing inflation that is hurting all Americans”.
$80 billion designated to hire 87,000 more government employees, IRS agents for “increased tax enforcement”, equivalent to 1,740 more ‘agents’ per state, $820,000 per agent…to only look at persons making over $400,000/year. What will 87,000 agents be “enforcing” 8 hours a day, 5 days/week, 52 weeks/year? And these IRS “jobs”, with benefits and pensions, will NEVER be eliminated. And if the Democrats do the hiring, who do you think they will be going after, rich Democrat donors? Sounds like third-world stuff.
$369 billion for “energy security and climate change” to supposedly reduce energy costs and save the planet. This will promote/force ”home efficiency upgrades”, like European-style washing machines incapable of cleaning/washing your clothes (cannot use enough water or detergent), or taxing homes using oil or gas heat, incentivizing purchase of electric vehicles, that are expensive, have limited limiting mileage in cold climes,, and use electricity generated by…coal and natural gas-fired power plants!
The immediate (January 2021) stoppage of drilling and pipelines for oil and gas, nullifying Trumps push for energy independence, is the cause of our current inflation.
Some $350 billion for “loans” to build alternate energy sources, like wind farms and solar farms that rely on unreliable weather and wind to generate electricity.
$1.13 billion to plant trees in urban areas; $102 million for California & $74 million for New York. Over $10 million each for use by Pelosi & Chuck Schumer to offer tree-planting jobs to Californians & New Yorkers in strategic cities to insure continued voting for Democrats, despite the wreckage in their cities (illegal unvetted immigrants overrunning their ‘sanctuary’ cities, drugs in open use, defecation & needles on the sidewalks, etc).
Will all of the above reduce inflation?
How about National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024 (NDAA), some 973 pages long, with much pork having nothing to do with national defense?
$600 million more for continued unaccounted use by corrupt Ukrainian bureaucrats. Money for soldier sex re-assignment surgery. Money designated for military women for access to and the paying of the killing of their child in utero across state lines. Money to preach Critical Race Theory. Money to continue to force Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity “goals” across the board, to promote recruiting of LGBTQIA persons and to educate military use of preferred pronouns. Money to fund the FBI to harass domestic terrorists like parents who attend school board meetings and peacefully praying pro-life Catholics. Et cetera. Nothing to do with defense.
If a Republican objects to having non-germane items in these bills, we hear from Democrats Rep. Jim Himes “Americans and allies will die if not passed”, & from Sen. Chuck Schumer “The security of our western democracy hangs in the balance”… Wow!
Thank goodness for Republicans with integrity like our own Representatives Ben Cline & Morgan Griffith who voted against the NDAA & IRA unless/until the wasteful funding for nefarious legion unrelated, expensive, and immoral items were removed. Thus the insisting on single issue bills with only germane amendments.
Sincerely…John Stec
Covington