Dear Editor:
Oh, the hypocrisy. Today I received a petulant email from Rep. Doug Lamborn, in which he announced that he had voted NO on a recent spending bill in the House of Representatives. The bill passed anyway, leading Lamborn to whine: “Even more concerning is the fiscal insanity prevalent in the Democratic party in Washington. We have spent more than $6 trillion dollars in coronavirus aid, yet Democrats think we can continue to recklessly spend money. We cannot continue to saddle future generations with debt.”
This from a member of Congress who, in 2017, voted for the “tax cuts for the rich” bill which cost the treasury $1.9 trillion! At that time, Lamborn was part of a chorus claiming that the legislation, which overwhelmingly benefited wealthy Americans and corporations, would pay for itself by stimulating economic growth.
Two years after passage, in December 2019, the president of the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Budget said, “It was unbelievable at the time, and it’s proven to be absolutely untrue. The tax cuts were never going to — and have not — come anywhere close to paying for themselves.”
That $1.9 trillion would come in handy for disaster relief, including for the current public health crisis. Or how about infrastructure spending? Or tackling climate change in a meaningful way? Or extending health coverage to more Americans? But no – not when fat cat donors and lobbyists are asking for favors.
It should be noted that Senator Cory Gardner also voted for the “tax cuts for the rich.” And of course Donald Trump pushed hard for it. I’m sure they’ve all enjoyed the extra money in their bank accounts – at the public expense.
Sincerely,
Anne Marie Holen
Salida, CO
Thank you, Anne Marie for making an often-overlooked and salient point in this campaign.