Many people don’t realize that when the recent government shutdown ended, Congress was merely kicking the can down the road. The current budget only funds the government through January. At the end of this month, we will have another episode of brinksmanship because as we all know, the word ‘negotiation’ has become toxic. Congress reminds me of a bunch of spoiled children who have not learned to play nicely together, primarily because the spineless GOP members are afraid of Big Bad Donald!
Apparently, Senator Cruz (R – Texas ) and Senator John Cornyn (R – Texas), snuck a provision in the temporary budget bill directing the Smithsonian to move the retired Space Shuttle currently housed at the Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport in Virginia to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Now, mind you, the shuttle has been happily living at the museum in Virginia, which is part of the Smithsonian, since 2012!! The decision to move the shuttle there after it retired was made back in the Obama era! Oops! These people really hold a grudge and now your tax dollars get to pay for it. I was under the impression the Trump administration and all his minions were interested in slashing government spending and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.
Estimates to move the shuttle and build a new display for it is estimated to cost, at a minimum, between $120 million and $150 million. That is not chump change. That is a lot of money to satisfy someone’s ego, particularly when it’s our tax dollars.
On the one hand, I understand. There were only 4 space shuttles and many cities and states wanted them, but someone had to decide and they did. Get over it!! Stop wasting our tax dollars!! If the senators from Texas feel so strongly about moving the space shuttle, they should set up a Go Fund me page or get good old Elon to pay for it. This is a huge unnecessary waste of US taxpayer money. Period. Full stop.
Benefits are being stripped away from people. Medical insurance premiums are skyrocketing. People are having trouble putting food on the table and these bozos want to spend somewhere between $100 million and $300 million US tax dollars on this wasted effort. What problem will this solve? How will this Make America Great Again? How will this help everyday, ordinary Americans? It won’t!
Trump has so emasculated Congress and their ability to solve real problems for all Americans that they are left working on issues like this. Not only that, Cruz and Cronyn say that as far as they are concerned the decision has already been made despite growing Congressional opposition to this effort. Will this become the lynch pin in the next budget deal like health care subsidies did in the last budget crisis? Will this be the cause of yet another senseless government shutdown?
When are these Congressmen and Congresswomen going to start doing their jobs and stop wasting our money on these ego-driven, quixotic efforts that benefit no one?
Postscript – It was reported over night that Trump attacked Venezuela and has captured President Maduro and his wife and whisked them out of the country. More on this in a later post as details become available. So, while Trump declares war on another country, let the senators go back to bickering about how to waste more tax dollars rather than trying to rein in a madman President.
