A promising start has given way to challenging political realities for supporters of a bipartisan commission to tackle the federal government’s growing debt challenges.

For Mike Johnson it was effectively a Day 1 priority.

It’s well past time, the newly elected House speaker said in October, to establish a bipartisan commission to tackle the federal government’s growing $34.6 trillion in debt. “The consequences if we don’t act now are unbearable,” he said, echoing warnings from his predecessor and other House Republicans.

More than six months later, the proposal appears all but dead, extinguished by vocal opposition from both the right and the left.

The collapse underscores an unyielding dynamic in Washington, with lawmakers in both parties loath to consider the unpopular tradeoffs that would be necessary to stem the nation’s swelling tide of red ink — particularly in an election year. Facing the reality that any fiscal commission would almost certainly suggest that Americans pay more or get less from their government, lawmakers have time and again done what they do so well: punt the problem to the next Congress. And they seem poised to do so again.

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
    42·
    2 months ago

    ha, wow. this really highlights how out of whack the conservatives are. the debt is usually the club they use to beat the dems into submission when they do not control the whitehouse. when conservatives have the white house, the debt is never, ever an issue.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      73·
      2 months ago

      Trumplicans aren’t conservatives. There are a handful of traditional conservatives left in Congress, and they’ve been actively leaving due to the infighting of MAGA Republicans.

        • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
          42·
          2 months ago

          Conservatives comprised the majority of Republicans before 2016. Trump saw a rift in the party and tore it wide open.

          • MacAttak8@lemmy.world
            4·
            2 months ago

            I do not disagree with what you’re saying.

            My point was that this hypocrisy about the national debt predates MAGA by like 40 years. I posted an article explaining it all. Two Santa Clause Theory.

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
              2·
              2 months ago

              I was only commenting on your the use of the term conservatives in place of Republicans. They’re not synonymous anymore. I completely agree with your point about the hypocrisy.

              • MacAttak8@lemmy.world
                2·
                2 months ago

                I see what you’re saying. For what it’s worth I never used either term. That was u/originallucifer.

                You have piqued my interest though. What would you consider Republicans if they aren’t conservatives? I consider them Far right conservatives. Radical conservatives if you will.

                • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
                  3·
                  2 months ago

                  They’re not fiscally conservative if they can’t balance a budget. Right wing or Republicans is what I use. I didn’t notice that you weren’t the initial commenter. Sorry about that. I corrected my mistake.

                  • MacAttak8@lemmy.world
                    1·
                    2 months ago

                    The sad part is no Republican since Eisenhower in 1960 has had a balanced budget.

                    Clinton handed GW Bush a budget surplus in 2001 and is the last time we’ve had a balanced budget.

                    So by your definition Republicans have not been conservative in a very long time?

                    https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSD

                    Edit: I initially listed LBJs 1969 surplus as the most recent Republican balanced budget due to a brain fart forgetting he was a Democratic politician.

          • njm1314@lemmy.world
            22·
            2 months ago

            Disagree completely. Trump conservatives are just your normal conservatives who aren’t afraid to say things out loud anymore.