Biden’s Welfare Blowout & DOGE

Squeamish Republicans & progressive Dems who never say “no” to a gov’t handout were called out for opposing “huge cuts” in “Biden’s welfare blowout” that’s sending taxpayers’ money to the abled bodied & employed for no good reason. DOGE knows.

As the WSJ editorial board framed the situation: “The press is reporting that Republicans in Congress are getting nervous about spending reductions in social programs as too politically risky. Another GOP faction wants to retain Joe Biden’s green subsidies. And this is only week one of the new Administration. If this keeps up, why not let Democrats run the place?” At the heart of the editors’ angst is the dirty little secret as to HOW MUCH Biden expanded the welfare state, even though the national jobless rate has fallen to 4.1% from the late Covid-era’s 6.3%. “Some 84.6 million individuals are enrolled in Medicaid – about a quarter of the population … [and] … about 42.6 million Americans receive food stamps.”  We’re told that “the Democrats used the pandemic as an excuse to turn Medicaid into another entitlement for the middle class. Congress finally ended the pandemic expansions in spring 2023. Yet there are still about 10 million more people on Medicaid than before Covid. Annual federal & state spending on the program has grown by 60% to $963 billion – MORE THAN THE US NOW SPENDS ON NATIONAL DEFENSE.”

As the editors note, “progressives claim that Republicans want to take food & healthcare away from the poor & sick. But the reality is Biden’s welfare expansions have mostly benefited those who can support themselves but ... choose not to.” Agreed. When DOGE recommends the coming cuts in welfare to help balance the budget, the resulting debate shouldn’t be about “helping people who really need it, but about” giving handouts to those “who don’t need it.”

Davd Soul