“This is an economic crisis of the Democrats’ own making.” This is how Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, described the looming debt ceiling debate on “Washington Watch.”
“They’ve known for two years the debt ceiling date is approaching. They’ve never even passed a budget, never had a conversation about it,” Rep. Brady said, and yet, “they’re trying to blame Republicans.” But as usual, Democrats’ blame game misses the mark. It’s not just about past failures. “The current debt ceiling frankly accommodates all the spending up until this summer,” Brady pointed out. “What this is about is future spending.”
And as the national debt grows, so do the potential consequences for the country. Should the debt ceiling be raised by trillions of dollars as Democrats want, the harms to society could be far-reaching. “These are crippling tax increases,” Brady said. “The greatest expansion of the welfare state. War on work, on life, on American jobs, on Americans who want to work without joining a union. It is all of that. So, the debt ceiling is just a green light for that spending, and that’s why we, especially we conservatives, are opposing it.”
Instead of governing, Democrats are focused on spending ever-increasing amounts of money. The reconciliation package alone could cost between $4-5 trillion, the infrastructure package is around $1.5 trillion, and that’s all on top of the regular appropriations that keep the government running year after year, which have taken a backseat to this spending spree.
Yet, at least one piece of what Rep. Brady describes as “really good news” has emerged from the debates over the reconciliation bill. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) has said that the expansion of Medicaid that the Democrats are seeking to pass as a part of the reconciliation bill must include the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funds from going towards abortion. Without Hyde, the bill would be “dead on arrival,” according to Manchin.
It’s an extraordinarily courageous move for the Democratic senator to hold the line on this issue in a party that is increasingly radical in its support for abortion and forcing Americans to pay for them.
“For the past three years in the House, Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her team have been trying to repeal the 40-year bipartisan Hyde Amendment that has saved two million lives and still is,” Rep. Brady said. “They are continuing to wage war on the innocent unborn. They see this as an opportunity.” Yet, Senator Manchin has the power to single-handedly stop them in their tracks.
If Democrats refuse to include the Hyde Amendment in the reconciliation bill, they will be jeopardizing their new social programs. Will Democrats give up their goal to fund abortions in order to pass their prized social programs? Only time will tell.
As Democrats continue to push for massive spending and debt increases — including an attempt to ditch the long-standing Hyde Amendment — issues of common sense and conscience are coming into play. What Congress ultimately passes could affect generations to come.