Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Republicans look poised to retake the House and perhaps even the Senate in November. After all, crime is hitting levels not seen since the 1990s.
In January, the Wall Street Journal wrote: “Several cities set new records for murders last year. Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., Louisville, Ky., and Albuquerque, N.M., had their deadliest years on record. Philadelphia, the nation’s sixth largest city, had 562 homicides surpassing its previous high of 500 set in 1990.” In Chicago this past weekend, 7 people were killed and 36 others shot, making it the city’s most violent weekend of the year.
Inflation has not been this bad since the early 1980s. USA Today recently wrote: “Consumer prices climbed further into the stratosphere in March, and the only consolation is that the painful bout of skyrocketing costs may have peaked. Inflation hit a fresh 40-year high as continuing surges in gasoline, food and rent costs more than offset moderating prices for used cars.”
The number of attempted illegal entries last fiscal year (which ends in September) was at the highest level since 1960 when the U.S. Border Patrol started recording illegal entry attempts. Biden’s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan has frightened friends and allies and emboldened enemies.
As campaign issues used against Democrats go, this is low-hanging fruit. But what is the Republican plan to rein in spending and the size and intrusiveness of government, given that most of the spending is on automatic pilot?
Medicare/Medicaid/Obamacare take the biggest chunk and combined with Social Security these programs (aka “entitlements”) take more than half of government (aka “taxpayer”) dollars. Next is income security, which includes general retirement and disability insurance; federal employee retirement, disability and military retirement; unemployment compensation; housing assistance; nutrition assistance; foster care; Supplemental Security Income; and the earned income and child tax credits. They are followed, in decreasing order, by national security and interest on the debt. Combined, these programs consume almost all federal spending.
When then-President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, Republicans called it costly, intrusive and a giant leap toward the Democrats’ ultimate health care goal: single-payer. Republicans vowed to repeal it. Candidate Donald Trump promised “to replace Obamacare with something better.” But Obamacare became increasingly popular, and Republicans failed to offer a “replacement.” Republicans stopped calling for its repeal.
When Ronald Reagan first ran for California governor in 1966, his opponents were quick to point out that he said that Social Security should be “voluntary.” After the attack, he dropped the idea and never again suggested it. As a presidential candidate in 1980, Reagan promised to abolish the new Department of Education. By the time he left office eight years later, however, the department had not only survived but was bigger than when he entered office.
Former President George W. Bush promoted a plan to allow workers to direct a portion of their Social Security contribution into a private savings account that could be used to invest into the stock market. Democrats pounced, calling the “privatization” plan risky and dangerous. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., later called Bush’s increasingly unpopular idea a “political gift” for Democrats. Republicans, who once supported the idea, ran away from it, and Bush dropped it.
Both parties spend. But campaigning to reduce, let alone take away programs is political suicide. And there is increasingly less discussion or even concern about the growing national debt. The only path forward is to tie the hands of Congress through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that fixes government spending to a set percentage of our gross domestic product, with exceptions for war or natural disasters.
Under the Constitution, Article V allows states the power to call a Convention of States to propose amendments. Thirty-four states must agree to do so. Last month, South Carolina joined, putting the number of states calling for a convention at 19. More than halfway there. It’s our only hope to stop the spending rampage. Few Republicans are calling for this. Their silence is deafening.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host. His latest book, “The New Trump Standard,” is available in paperback from Amazon.com and for Nook, Kindle, iBooks and Google Play. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @LarryElder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2022 LAURENCE A. ELDER
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
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29 thoughts on “Larry Elder: If or when Republicans win back Congress – then what?”
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Investigate the steal of the 2020 elections with a commission!
Expose this turpitude that includes both rinos & dinos!
Many Republicans are just as corrupt as DemocRats, but there are a few that will put our Country and our Constitution FIRST! Anything’s better than the current COMMUNIST administration and Congress! What have they done RIGHT?
Unless the current gutless, status quo (preserve my power), so called leadership of the Republican nonRepresentatives is replaced not much will change. Term limits and actual representation of the taxpayers is sorely needed as soon as possible.
A Constitutional Convention will be a disaster. The left wants it, the globalist want it, and uninformed people want it. If you can’t make your Republican representatives abide the existing Constitution what do you think will happen in a convention. The Soros backed will prevail and you will have a new Constitution that doesn’t recognize rights come from God and can be infringed upon. I like Larry but he is misinformed on the solution to Republicans failing to do their duty.
the wall gets built. ice gets power back to remove criminals. energy companies are freed of some of the red tape. tougher laws for criminals and the doj gets an overhaul. at least that is what i’m hoping for.
“Democrat”, “Republican”, the illusion of choice. A one party system with two different
names. The system selects who we elect, that they select, and so on. We the People don’t need “Republicans”, we need patriotic Constitutional nationalists in Congress.
Probably nothing!!! There are too many rinos in GOP.
Rino = crypto-democrat!
This is a premature consideration. While the Republicans appear to be likely to take a majority in both Houses of Congress, the ability of the Democrats to wrangle victories is by now legendary and shouldn’t be underestimated. But, one poster made the very correct observation the “the two Mc’s” would continue to be the GOP’s leaders which would likely put a huge kibosh on what the GOP ought to do. If it does take the two Houses it should place a reign of terror on the lying gangsters that run the anti-American Dems.Public Hearing should open into so many Democrat abuses from the open border to irresponsible Covid measures to Hunter and “the Big Man” Bidens and on and on. There should be a veritable display for the American public just how extreme and secretive the Democrat leadership has been in dismantling venerable American Institutions and fostering a racism unknown in modern times.
When Repubics are in charge, they’re not much better than the dem-o-rats! The Repubics leaders in both houses need to be replaced with Constitutionalist leaders! If they can find any!! If they can’t, expect crap in, crap out for their actions!
During the last administration we had peace, prosperity, respect for the Constitution and an America First attitude. Look at the MESS we have now!
The democrats will still be in charge as long as the two Mc’s still run the senate and the house.
The leadership must be held accountable! McCarthy leans left and doesn’t deliver. McConnell and 18 Republican senators sided with Democrats to end tariffs on China, this destroys American manufacturing! Stop voting for leaders like this over and over again. Yes, they raise money but at what cost to us! Call your representatives and insist that they vote for real America first leaders in 2023 when we take the House and Senate!
I have to balance my budget, why doesn’t the government?
Nothing….that’s what. Republicans don’t stick together and have always been afraid to act.
The rinos are crypto-democrats, therefore the permanent split.
If McCarthy stays it will be more of the same.
Fecklessness…the uni-party will still sell out the American people and the Dems will roll all over us, even as the minority party, just like they did in Trumps first 2 years
Larry is doing a Thomas Sowell. The answer is, with this present Republican leadership, we will blow it, and the dems will be back in power in ’24. And then you will be addressing your wife as, “Comrade Wife”.
Social Security is not an entitlement‼️
People work all their lives and have money deducted every paycheck that goes into it! Leave it alone‼️ If the Government wants to start cutting anything, start with All Representatives and Congress members first. They give themselves raises, which is unbelievable, which are way above the cost of living expense that Social Security gives to us peons. They get pensions and lifetime Healthcare, which is unheard of anymore in the real world. If you want to do something about Healthcare – give the people the same plan that you have! Stop writing bills that are filled with BS that gets added on. It should be a mandate that all Bills and New Laws contain only the one item the bill or law is talking about! And start writing these in plain English so that every citizen can understand them and know what you are trying to sneak in there! There is so much overspending in the Government because The House, Senate and Congress are the ones spending it on idiotic bills. Republicans and Democrats must make it so that the yearly budget is balanced and completed on time, every year, no exceptions! Start at the top when you talk about cutbacks!
There needs to be Term Limits too, just like the President has! No more than 2 terms!!!
We have term limits. It’s called an election.
Research the Convention of States team. It’s a go. Term limits, balanced budget, and I think two others I can’t remember (old). It’s scary as hell, because Dems cheat like the very devil, but it HAS to b done. It is our founding fathers last legal resort before civil war to take our country back. Smart men; they anticipated this time for America.
In its present form nothing will change or happen at all folks! Every RINO traitor and butt kissing communist democrat needs to go bye bye like yesterday. If you think McCarthy will be a great Speaker think again this past week Liz Cheney even showed us his back stabbing ways toward Trump and we don’t need this clown or anyone like him. No we need real Americans representing Americans and not afraid of the worthless democrats.
Can’t be any worst than Pelosi who speaks like a stroke survivor who drank a gallon of vodka.
I can think of a Dementia ridden fool and a cackling hen that make Nanzi look almost sane!
“Few Republicans are calling for this. Their silence is deafening.”
Because most of them are rinos and only interested in THEIR OWN WORTHLESS CAREERS!!!! Something our founders DID NOT intend to happen. Very similar to the “officers” in corporate america today.
“republicans” have been selling our country down the tubes for decades with their “go along to get along” policy of continually giving in to the democrat(marxist)
party. When have you ever seen “republicans” fight hard, tooth and nail, to send democrat politicians who have violated their oath of office(ie. BROKEN THE LAW!!!)
to jail?!! Compare what they did to Nixon whose watergate was childs play compared to the CRIMINAL ACTIONS of obama, and biden against all things conservative.
’too much to list!
Only if Republicans pull their heads out of their asses and work for the people not for their pockets. We have way too much corruption going on in DC
Without a consolidated GOP in possession of the house and senate there will be nothing done. Just like when we had Trump and a GOP house and senate we got nothing done why. Because of the pathetic rhino’s in the GOP. That is the awful truth.
Than what? Firing squads, I’ll volunteer!
I will happily volunteer as well