The Republican Welfare System

Thursday night the Senate voted to cut federal spending, with the hopes of also reducing the federal deficit, by passing the first spending reduction bill since the right wing conservative government took power.

In less than five years Bush’s compassionate government has increased federal spending to the largest levels ever, created the largest federal deficit ever seen, provided the largest tax breaks to the wealthiest of people and corporations ever sought possible and borrowed more money to pay for a growing list of expenses than any administration in American history.

The spending cuts target a wide barrage of social programs and government grants and subsidies. Those on the right usually laud all cuts on social programs, and I’ll totally agree that federal spending should be curbed. I sometimes hate to even use the word “social” because of the stereotypes it creates in political conversations. If it is true that most conservatives and right-wingers hate social programs-- and I’m not convinced that all conservatives do, it’s more of an argument of being fiscally responsible rather than doing away with the programs-- but if the end of all social programs is their goal, then the largest social program this country has is the Congress itself. According to the right wing argument shouldn’t we do away with the Congress also?

Those who are elected to our Congress enjoy the most spectacular social benefits this country has to offer. Maybe it is not well known to voters, though it is only a matter of sitting down and thinking about what Washington is doing, but the families of those in Congress are raised with the kindest socialism this world might know.

The members and their families are covered by the best medical benefits plan in the nation, universal healthcare that allows the employee and spouse to be covered for life. Their pension system is full of luxurious options, matching funds, including the choice of investing some of their retirement money into private funds or stocks, which draws money out of the Social Security fund that the rest of us taxpayers (voters) depend on. They also have the pithy responsibility of granting themselves pay raises, usually every year. It is a communal group plan that the conservatives in charge have only voted to increase in scope. I must also add that I have never met a poor member of Congress either. Meaning that the Congressional welfare system is a rich man’s communism, held in check by a dynastical family of two presidents and a governor with entire families of beneficiaries to the system.

Thursday’s plan is supposed to eliminate about “$35 billion over the next five years by cutting federal spending on prescription drugs, agriculture supports and student loans, while clamping down on fraud in the Medicaid program.” The bill, however, does nothing to cut pork projects in Republican districts, or to cut any funding on the social programs offered to the Congress. Fareed Zakaria notes, “The highway bill of 1982 had 10 "earmarked" projects—the code word for pork. The 2005 one has 6,371.”

Indicted House member and Texas Republican Tom DeLay a few weeks ago noted that there was no more pork left in the budget to trim. But on Wednesday DeLay “repeatedly apologized for excessive spending by Congress, including recent highway legislation that was loaded with lawmakers' pet projects.” Even going on to admit that while “House Republicans have voted to cut taxes ever year since winning the majority in 1994, DeLay acknowledged, [o]ur record on spending has not been as consistent, unfortunately." A flip-flop of words and deed.

While Republican candidates rally a base that disdains “hand outs,” it is the Republican leaders who benefit totally from a socialist elite form of government. Vote for me and I’ll curb handouts to the poor, but will raise my family and our friends from the handouts that I receive from taxpayers such as you, is the Republican stump speech. What is the moral argument for Republicans that vote to end government programs specifically for the poor while excluding cuts in the same social programs they receive?

Cutting services to the poor while expanding them for the rich is the new conservative platform. It’s a class-preferred system favoring the rich and mostly Republican elected officials who so desperately need the votes from their die-hard capitalist, conservative, morally Christian, no more “handouts” base. You who oppose all things socialist, vote to keep the most successful socialist program in power and well oiled.

politics, Bush, Communism, Republican