Cheap Hawks

(Cheap Hawks)

There has been something of a tacit understanding between Democrats and Republicans on the matter of government spending. Republicans want to protect defense spending and allows Democrats a certain level of social engineering. For each Party, these are the sacred cows and any amount of outlay justifies whatever expenditure determined. But now, after the drunken sailor spending over the last two years and the national debt has ballooned to over $30 trillion, such devil may care loose cash might be coming to an end. Out of necessity.

One of the first things that happens in a new Congress is the determination of the Rules package and included were proposals to limit defense spending. If the Majority House Republicans in the 118th Congress are truly committed to curbing spending, then all line-items, including the Pentagon, must come under review. Now, Republicans, with their donors from the big contractors, the Boeing's, the Lockheed Martin's and so on, that employ thousands across the spectrum. Republicans are the ones that want to keep otherwise obsolete or redundant facilities, like Air Force Bases that have outlived usefulness but could employ hundreds to thousands in a Congressional District. As GOP logic goes. then, no cuts could possibly be considered because of the high cost to average Americans.

Admittedly, today's geo-strategic environment would not suggest any diminution of current defense posture. With one war underway in Ukraine and another one all but imminent across the Taiwan Straits, with Iran and North Korea are continuing to sound belligerent. A dangerous world and it might not be the best time to be beating swords into plowshares. However, the "sword" in this case has become a jewel encrusted piece of platinum so looking for some bargain does not seem so extreme.

But objections are being raised over the defense spending issue, one coming from Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX). Roy, among others, is reciting the familiar refrain, saying that the DoD is un-touchable. With that attitude, however, if Republicans are seen as un-willing to cut defense, how could they cut out the IRS and all its new agents ? How could they move to secure the border or attempt a return to energy independence ?

Republicans will need to adopt a new paradigm in that there can be no more so-called cows. The 118th Congress will need to practice what it preaches if the idea is to actually cut spending, then trimming the Pentagon would be a good start. And besides. None of the Departments need to be "woke."