On August 10th, the Senate passed a massive $1.2T 'Infrastructure' bill. Every Democrat Senator as well as 19 Republicans voted for this bill. So, what are we getting for our money?
- $550 billion for roads, bridges and electric vehicle charging stations
- $66 billion for Amtrak (which has never operated profitably since its inception)
- Subsidies for electric vehicles like buses and ferry boats
- Money to encourage women to enter the truck driving profession
- Expanding Internet access for prisoners
- $500M to 'cool down' pavement in cities
- Money to fund 'road diet' programs (increasing the congestion of our roads to drive people to mass transit)
- $125M for state governments to study imposing 'per mile driven' taxes on cars
- $55B on local water systems to bail out cities like Flint, MI who’ve neglected their water systems
- $100B for the Department of Transportation (headed by Pete Buttigieg) for grants at their discretion
- $138B to develop internet and Broadband services competing directly with private companies.
Heard enough yet?
According to the Heritage Foundation, each household’s share of the $28.4 trillion national debt is $220,000. If we add a low estimate of $150T in unfunded mandates to this number, each household’s share of our total debt is $1,347,887. The 'experts' and our elected officials continue to spend massive amounts of money that we simply do not have. Inflation is on the rise at an annualized rate of 5.4%. This is a not-so-hidden tax on each one of us that decreases our purchasing ability.
This has set the stage for the upcoming $3.5T budget that will expand entitlements, contain student loan forgiveness, free pre-K daycare, expand Medicare and Medicaid, etc. Speaker Pelosi has threatened to hold up the vote on the 'infrastructure' bill until the Senate passes the $3.5T budget.
What do most of the items listed above have in common?
Most are areas where the federal government has absolutely no Constitutional authority to be involved in. Proponents have stated this shows the Senate can work and they can accomplish “big things.” Congress is not supposed to do “big things.” The Senate is meant to slow the passage of legislation. Their job is to say “no.”
Make no mistake, the majority of Americans do not agree with the elements of this radical agenda. I believe the members of Congress understand this and know their days are numbered. That is why they are moving so fast to enact this radical agenda.
The Convention of States Project’s Article V resolution to: Limit the size, scope and jurisdiction of the federal government, discuss term limits for federal officials and restore fiscal restraints is the path back towards liberty. I am often asked why it is taking so long to call a convention of states meeting under our resolution. The answer is the lack of political will by a few legislators in several states to fulfill their Constitutional duty. We are really not that far away from passing in several states.
The states are the firewall. We know state legislatures have the ability to limit federal government overreach. Is something going to change tomorrow? No. Can something change soon? Yes. We are that change. The fight is hard. We must keep our eye on our goal of promoting a culture of self-governance. The tide is shifting but it takes time. Time is running short. That is why we must keep pushing forward.
We continue to grow and have more people stepping up to volunteer and be activists. Thank you for making a difference. For volunteer opportunities, visit www.conventionofstates.com/take_action.
In liberty,
Brett
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