The House of Representatives yesterday passed the $819 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, delivering President Obama his first major political victory and yet another setback to American taxpayers present and future. House Republicans, in a surprising display of partisan unity and commitment to principle, voted unanimously against the bill. Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) warned that such spending policies would bury the next generation under a "mountain of debt," while Congressman Dan Burton (R-Ind.) correctly pointed out that "free enterprise, less government and lower taxes is the way to solve this problem."

Unfortunately for Congressmen Boehner, Burton, and all their fellow Republicans, the House GOP lost all moral credibility on this issue last October, when, after heroically voting down President Bush's bailout bill in the face of withering lobbying from special interests and their own party leadership, they did an about-face after the Senate passed a similar measure. Congressman Burton voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, but many of his fellow Republicans in the House, including Congressman Boehner, succumbed to pressure from the Bush administration and voted for the bill the second time around. As a result, American taxpayers were saddled with more than $700 billion in bailout funds for ailing banks and other financial institutions — funds that, so far, have shown little promise of having the promised effect.

Republicans in the House are showing a united front against the latest misbegotten bailout boondoggle, but only because the bill's sponsors are Democrats. And whereas the Bush stimulus package was primarily socialism for the financial sector, the new bill contemplates ladling out taxpayer monies to just about anybody with a begging-bowl.

The House bill, shorn of a couple of the more controversial line items, including earmarks for family planning and resodding the National Mall, provides multibillion-dollar bon-bons for Medicaid, highway construction and repair, housing weatherization, schools, and countless other projects. The Senate, meanwhile, is already working on an even more expensive version of the bill. The temporary short-term benefits of the much-ballyhooed tax relief provisions notwithstanding, the long-term effects — hundreds of billions of dollars in new debt that taxpayers yet unborn will have to service — may well prove to be the proverbial straw that breaks the back of the taxpaying body politic.

We have come to such a tragic pass because neither party — excepting a few heroic individuals like Congressman Ron Paul — has shown the moral courage, for many decades, to address the real problem: too much government. While the Democrats argue for more government programs and higher taxes to fund them, the Republicans can do no more than propose lower taxes — while doing nothing to reverse, halt, or even slow the growth and cost of the federal government. Without reducing the size and cost of government, a reduction in taxes results in more deficit spending — and more inflation when the debt is monetized.

Now that the Republicans have been returned to the status of a clamoring minority, we can expect more vocal, principled opposition to government spending. But as their recent record as the majority party shows all too clearly, given the reins of power, they would likely behave little differently than Obama, Pelosi, and company are doing.

Photo: AP Images
 

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Tom W said:

	Both Good and Sad News If George Bush were President, these Republicans would have voted for the "STimulus" bill. Now that Obama is President, the Republicans are finally standing up for what's right - limited government. It's a good sign, but it's a little late now that they've lost elections and ground in Congress.
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January 29, 2009
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M. Delavar said:

No wonder people won't trust Republicans. Since the propaganda for years in the mainstream media has claimed that the Republicans are the conservative party, it is sad that this about face will actually hurt true conservatives. How many people will believe a newly principled Republican Party? Few. Those who do will have forgotten the lack of principles the R's demonstrated in the face of outlandish spending, wars, and torture. It makes me wish we had a better term than "conservative" to rally behind. Who knows? Perhaps "Americanist" will become popular.

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January 31, 2009 | url
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Tim said:

	... I agree with both of you, but I also sent my Congressman a supportive letter for his vote against this outrageous bill.
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January 31, 2009
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