I totally love this story by Stephen Neukam at Axios:
Top Senate Democrats on Friday accused Republicans of using a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals to “pay off” GOP lawmakers for their support of the “big, beautiful bill,” Axios has learned.
I have absolutely no doubt that the fund is and will be used as a “slush fund”. The rub in this is that one man’s slush fund is another man’s constituent service. It’s subjective. And a great example of why what we do at the federal level should be limited to the Constitutional enumerated powers. It’s as the late Ev Dirksen said: “A billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”
There is no doubt in my mind whatever that there are thousands if not tens of thousands of such slush funds in the federal budget. Whether you think they’re the traditional waste, fraud, or abuse depends mostly on your point-of-view.
Apropos out other discussion if Congress has to actually be responsible for spending cuts and must face re-election based upon those cuts they can be counted upon to mitigate anything that looks like a deep cut that is unpopular. One of the primary concerns about the Medicaid cuts was the effects on rural hospitals which many people discussed and now it looks like action has been taken so you can call the Repubs a bunch of hypocrites or something ie they dont want the cuts to affect their voters.
Query- If there are tens of thousands of these funds why didnt DOGE find them?
Steve
When I ran for State Representative years ago, I remember the incumbent going around passing out state grants shortly before the election. I felt like I subsidizing his campaign with my tax dollars.
CM
You were. It’s a feature of the system, not a bug.
Dave Schuler: It’s subjective.
Objectively, the $50 billion “slush” fund for rural hospitals differs substantially from the previous program. For one, it’s much bigger. Also, the previous program, the Flex Program, had structured eligibility and reporting, while the new program, the Rural Health Transformation Program, has vague criteria and much more discretion, potentially allowing the rewarding and punishing of those who buck the Trump administration on other issues.
Of course, we can be confident that the Trump administration will never abuse their power even if it is unaccountable. Whew. That was close.
Charlie Musick: I remember the incumbent going around passing out state grants shortly before the election.
Taking credit for spending programs that were allocated with proper oversight is normal politics (even if the politician voted against the bill).
We can be confident that any administration will abuse its power. I think the solution to that is to limit the power and discretion of the federal government, the president in particular.
Dave Schuler: We can be confident that any administration will abuse its power.
Unaccountable power is corrupt power.
Dave Schuler: I think the solution to that is to limit the power and discretion of the federal government, the president in particular.
Then you should reject the slush fund, which grants far more discretion than the previous program. They are not the same things. It was clearly devised to reward sycophants and punish critics. This is an administration that threatens to not even provide emergency aid to Blue states.
The Trump administration has already violated mechanisms of accountability, isolated a supine and toadying Congress, concentrated power in the executive, and garnered support from so-called small government conservatives. Keep in mind that Caesar and Hitler, both populists, took power legally and constitutionally. Turns out that, instead of checks and balances, the United States has been on the honor system ever since George Washington first ceded power to the Continental Congress.
I’m not sure Dave is in a position to reject anything.
And we saw both the Obama and Biden admins screwing over red states/areas over emergency aid. So much for ‘proper oversight’.
Icepick: Obama and Biden admins screwing over red states/areas over emergency aid
Who gets more disaster aid? Republican states.
Yes, and all you have to do to get it is kiss the ass of every FEMA person that comes around – and you’d better not be registered Republican or have a Republican sign in your yard. So much of the disaster money is just more government largess for bureaucrats to get fat on.
And get back to me on those numbers the next time the West coast gets hit by the Big One. They’re already claiming the fires from LA a few months back is more devastating than Hurricane Katrina. LOL LMAO even, as the kids say.
Icepick: and you’d better not be registered Republican
Notably, you simply ignored the point.