Over the past week, I’ve written two articles about Trump’s narcissistic $2 trillion infrastructure plan and how he has teamed up with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to “get something done on infrastructure in a big way” as Schumer told reporters after the three of them agreed to pursue the big government boondoggle.
In those articles, I documented how their infrastructure plan has little to do with infrastructure and a lot to do with advancing the radical agenda of the Far-Left and Democratic Socialists. Sure, roads and bridges are included, but the plan being promoted by Trump and his buddies Chuck and Nancy also includes spending to address so-called climate change, along with “broadband, water, energy, schools, housing, and other initiatives.”
Hey, there’s a reason this disaster jumped from $1 trillion to $2 trillion.
One of the unknowns in this big-government scheme is how it will be paid for, a question that remains unanswered in the absence of any direction from Trump.
For the record, it’s important to remember that when a politician tells you they’re not sure how they’ll pay for something, they’re doing so rhetorically. Of course they know how they’ll pay for their big-government agenda: higher taxes or deficit spending. Probably both!
So far, Trump is supporting a 25-cent-a-gallon increase in the gas tax, an idea supported in part by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY). Collins is the “Republican” behind the proposal to double the gas tax and double airline fees. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer wants Trump’s so-called tax cuts rolled back, a suggestion Mitch McConnell is calling a “non-starter.”
When you add Trump’s spending addiction and record-breaking budget deficits to the equation, the absurdity of spending $2 trillion on infrastructure cannot be overstated. But hey, since when has Washington let absurd ideas keep them from doing the wrong thing? Instead, they usually double-down on stupid and do what they want regardless of the consequences.
For example, let’s take a look at the discussions taking place in the House about how to raise the $2 trillion.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), believes “There are so many ways to pay for infrastructure.” And what are some of those ways? “From a wealth tax to a financial transactions tax, there’s all kinds of specific, documented ways in our CPC budget that we propose paying for that,” she added.
New taxes? Surely, there won’t be any tax increases with Mitch “Grim Reaper” McConnell defending America from the Far-Left agenda, right? Well… about that…
It was recently suggested to Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the Vice Ranking Republican of the House Appropriations Committee, that if Trump were to put his full-throated support behind a tax hike to pay for infrastructure, he might be able to win over some members of his party. Cole responded by saying, “I think enough Republicans could support something like that if the president were for it.”
Face it, folks. It’s election season, and Trump and the GOP care more about winning in 2020 than they do about doing the right thing for America, which means it isn’t a matter of “if” we’ll see more deficit spending and higher taxes, but “when.”
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative. His politically incorrect and always “right” columns are also featured on NOQReport.com.
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