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A rising debate within the Republican ranks revolves around spending, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy attempts to align his party’s different factions to prevent a government shutdown. Navigating this challenge is no easy task, thanks to the numerous special interests competing for a portion of the federal budget.
Straight Arrow News contributor Star Parker sheds light on the significant role played by a specific group of Washington insiders in the allocation of the federal budget.
When talking about Washington deciding how to spend our tax dollars, there’s an important piece of the puzzle that is often not mentioned: lobbyists.
As you can imagine, September is not only a very busy month for Congress, it’s a busy month for lobbyists as well. Our federal government has a $6.3 trillion budget. It’s the biggest business in the country. The halls of our nation’s Capitol are crawling with special interests, hired professionals looking for opportunities to carve out a slice for themselves, or perhaps protect the slice they already have. It is no secret that lobbyists are a major part of the Washington, D.C., landscape. It’s an unchecked influence, one that helps bloat our government and sometimes threatens the very principles upon which our country was founded.
There are, of course, corporate lobbyists. Threatened by government overreach and/or excessive regulation, they cozy up to lawmakers to protect or expand their business interest. But they’re not the only ones. The fact is 60% of Americans get more from government than they put in today.
So at the end of the day, too much of our federal spending goes to states, communities and individuals who are often not accountable. According to the House Budget Committee, the federal government spent a total of $4.1 trillion on transfer payments to individuals in fiscal year 2022. And if that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is.
