GOP Bankrolls Govt Takeover of Education and Transportation
2.
181.
That’s how many pages, days, and Democrats, respectively, it took to pass the behemoth set of education and highway bills on Thursday.
The fact every single House Democrat voted for these bills, despite only having two days to read it, tells you everything you need to know. That any member would have read the 2,360-page liberal wish list—which is longer than the epic War and Peace, double the length of the Bible, and equal to 70 copies of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham—is doubtful.
The $305 billion highway bill fully extends failed federal control over surface transportation and sinks another $70 billion bailout into the trust fund with no reforms to mass transit. Yet, only 65 House Republicans voted to stop it. The Senate faired just as poorly, voting 83-16 to approve the highway bill, sending it to President Obama for his signature. Only 14 Republicans voted against it.
The education bill is an even greater monstrosity. It codifies the failed No Child Left Behind program, creates a new government run nursery program, reauthorizes federally-mandated testing through 2020, and prevents the next president from doing anything on these issues for the first years of the next administration.
However, more troubling than every single House Democrat voting for these bills is that Republicans, who have a majority in both Houses didn’t only fail to stop them—they authored them! The House easily passed the bill this week with only 64 Republicans opposed.
How ironic that Congressional Republicans chose to reauthorize and expand government control over education, while the conservative base consistently chooses Republican candidates who oppose Common Core, standardized test, and closing the Department of Education.
The American people don’t need another reminder that the majority they handed to Republicans has less spine and tenacity than Harry Reid and President Obama’s fractured minority party.
Maybe 70 copies of Green Eggs and Ham would do less damage to the taxpayers’ wallet than the cutely coined Every Student Achieves Act (ESA).
For those conservatives disappointed by the corrupt, ineffective education policies that have left our schools failing and our children behind, the wait for change will only continue.
And if there is anything we’ve learned about Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, and Republican leadership, it is that they are more than happy to wait. So long as the Democrats are happy and they are not forced to elicit their ire. (For more from the author of “GOP Bankrolls Govt Takeover of Education and Transportation” please click HERE)
Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
