Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning has been widely vilified for temporarily holding up a Senate bill that called for spending $10 billion — that the federal government doesn’t have — to extend unemployment benefits, provide medical insurance subsidies for the jobless, and finance some highway projects.
But most of his critics either didn’t understand the point he was trying to make — or understood and purposely ignored it.
The senator wasn’t trying to cause problems for the unemployed or block highway work. He was simply trying to remind irresponsible members of the Senate, and others, that Washington was about to spend an additional $10 billion that it didn’t have, thus adding to the national debt, which is around $14 trillion.
Sen. Bunning asked his fellow senators to find $10 billion in cuts before OK’ing an additional unfunded $10 billion in spending.
But his point was purposely ignored, and he was condemned as the temporary delay expired, meaning the American people are going $10 billion deeper into debt.
Some senators cried crocodile tears about delaying more benefits for the jobless and more money for highways. But few showed any really serious concern about spending $10 billion without making $10 billion in cuts for unconstitutional or unnecessary projects.
Sen. Bunning could afford to be “unpopular,” and to be considered “a skunk at the picnic,” because he does not intend to run for re-election. But most members of Congress, and many prospective members of Congress, don’t want to face the fact that the federal government should not vote to spend unfunded billions of dollars, adding to the $14 trillion debt.
Who is really irresponsible: Sen. Bunning or the big spenders?
He tried to make a point — that purposely has been entirely missed by most in Congress, and by many taxpayers.