The Farm Bill gives Republicans an opportunity to show real fiscal conservatism

While Republicans are celebrating Scott Walker's victory in Wisconsin, it might pay to remember that on a national level when Republicans have the power they are barely better than Democrats.

At this point in time the voting public is intensely focused on government spending, deficits, and debt. That's a good thing. There have always been politicians and voters concerned about it, but we have Barack Obama to thank for giving the issue such a high profile that it has become the dominating electoral issue in much of the country.

But if/when Republicans take charge of the White House and both houses of Congress, will they be able to do the hard thing and cut spending? Or will they gang up to defend their own spending turfs? The farm bill comes to mind.

The farm bill is a new-deal era subsidy program that doles out big bucks to a powerful clientele. That clientele sucked up over $15 billion in 2010.

According to Veronique de Rugy, "The agribusiness sector as a whole spent $124 million for lobbying in 2011." It will take some genuine conservative Senators and Representatives to just say no to the big farm lobbies and turn down that money.

It's a golden opportunity for Republicans to demonstrate true fiscal conservatism. In the words of Ms. de Rugy, end this cronyism already.

Comments

[Fener]

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