New Congress, Same Old Leviathan

We’ve all heard various political pledges to “cap” or “reduce” U.S. federal spending from many of the 64 new GOP Congressman and seven new GOP Senators elected last November, many of whom were bolstered in their campaigns (and rhetoric) by the “tea party” movement. But don’t expect such cuts to occur. U.S. federal spending will be greater in the coming year than it was in 2010 — and greater still in 2012 than it will be in 2011. Why? Not a single one of the principal programs or institutions of the current-day welfare-warfare state will have been altered in any material way, least of all by the Bush-like “compassionate conservatives” who continue to dominate GOP leadership.

Expect more of the same from the new Congress says Richard Salsman.