Sunday, March 2, 2025

Bill Crawford: Musk & Spending Cuts Need Higher Debt Ceiling?

Are they auditioning in Washington for a Saturday Night Live skit?

The sketch could start with President Donald Trump’s promise to wipe out the $36 trillion national debt. “We’re going to pay it off,” he said on the campaign trail. “We’re going to get it done fast too.”

Enter efficiency expert, billionaire Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to guide his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a chainsaw. “Waste is pretty much everywhere,” he proclaims, slashing federal jobs and government contracts. His goal is to cut annual spending by $2 trillion, or about one-third of the total annual budget.

The parody. Musk proposes sending $5,000 checks out to 79 million taxpaying families to share the DOGE “savings” with them. “I love it,” exclaims Trump who loved having his signature on all those COVID checks. He said 20% of the DOGE savings would go to fund the $5,000 checks.

The punch line. “And 20% goes to paying down debt,” Trump says. Huh? That’s just $400 billion of the $2 trillion in Doge cuts going to reduce the $36 trillion national debt.

The flashback. In January Musk said he doubted he could really cut $2 trillion in spending. "I think if we try for 2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting 1,” he said.

Enter House Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson. "We got it done," he says of his “deficit neutral” budget reconciliation resolution that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts (mostly extending current tax rates) plus at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts spread over 10 years.

The parody. "Why does a deficit neutral budget need a $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling?" a voice asks. The budget reconciliation process requires proposals to be deficit neutral, i.e., to break even over 10 years. But the resolution passed also increases the debt ceiling by $4 trillion.

Closing line. “Adding up what we’ve learned, Elon Musk and House Republicans will help President Trump keep his promise to pay off the national debt fast with spending cuts that need a higher debt ceiling. Have a nice day.”

Intriguingly, most of the proposed cuts are just clatter. Musk keeps announcing new “savings” from his cuts then his DOGE staff posts substantially lower numbers on the DOGE “wall of receipts.” There is doubt the Senate will join in with the cuts proposed by the House and overt skepticism that the cuts could be sustained for 10 years.

Some numbers. The national debt has passed $36 trillion. Interest payments on the debt are estimated at $952 billion for this year and to surge past $1 trillion next year.

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” – James 3:6.

Crawford is the author of A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uh oh. Are conservatives becoming self aware?

Anonymous said...

There's much more to come. Donald Trump is a con man. He's gettin old and he knows it. He's in a hurry so he don't waste time with fluff and smiles. He brought in the boss, Master Musk, and immediately handed him the keys. Nobody but Musk can explain what happens next, if he wants to. Trying to reconcile what's happening with Trump's "plans" will become more difficult as time goes by. Cut to the chase, ask Musk.

Anonymous said...

Bill isnt conservative. Elon Musk isn’t conservatice. Trump isn’t conservative. There are no conservatives left. The moments after 9/11 proved this nation is run by a uniparty of neo-libs and neo-cons. The reality is that they are neither liberal or conservative. They are both just addicted to censorship, surveillance, control, and corruption. The Federal Reserve system relies on enormous public debt. If we pay off the debt then the Federal Reaerve collapses. It has no reserves. The European Central bankers looted Fort Knox long ago. The Federal Reserve only has a debt ledger that can’t be repayed in a single century. That’s it. They are like a credit card company. Money from nothing and the collected interest is free.

Anonymous said...

Hard to say since Crawford isn't a conservative nor self-aware

Anonymous said...

No greater idea than to ask retired air traffic controllers to return to a government salary job of high stress with thousands of people's lives in your hands after calling them parasites and asking what they did last week. Hey, honey, should I go back to the heart attack job for low pay where a Felon and an Elon call me scum?

DOGE-the gift that keeps on giving- to Saturday Night Live writers. In fact, it writes itself.

The White House is the joke. With 7 billion people's live in its ketamine fueled orange hands. So winning. Thank you President Elon!! Great peace treaty on Day One, too! Congrats. Best President Ever!!!

Anonymous said...

Federal jobs = welfare with honor

Anonymous said...

11:22 for the best comment of the year, so far! But whatever comment tops 11:22's is going to have to be out of this world.

Anonymous said...

It's great to be the world's richest man. Today he can be an "efficientcy expert". Tomorrow he can be a military expert, a financial expert, a science expert, a cooking expert, ..... whatever Must be good to be Musk.

Anonymous said...

In the above opinion piece why couldn’t we find any complaints about running up the debt on future generations of hard working Americans to provide free housing to illegals (a $220 million lease to a Pakistan owned hotel in one American city/NYC alone) and the $$$’s spent perverting children via trans comic books…from a guy that sign off with James 3:6???

Anonymous said...

Federal Jobs= jobs that Musk Trump Clinton Obama and Nixon were rejected from. Nixon was rejected by the FBI and tried to fire the Director. Clinton lied to the FBI. And Trump was days from being convicted by the FBI, got a get outta jail card, and fired the FBI Director, but is still a Convicted Felon. So he can't make himself an Agent (on welfare, I guess, to you Cletus) since he can't carry a gun now.

Proud moment for 'Murica! Trailer trash To The Top!!!! The Vladimir/CCP Way. ("I worked at a shoe factory. Now I am in charge) ....of nuclear plant/weapson, since i fire the qualified ones).

So, looking forward to you being "on welfare" in that air traffic control tower, Bubba. Off we go, into the Wild Blue Yonder, CRAAAAAASSHHHHHH!!!!

paulo said...

Being a soldier is a federal job

Anonymous said...

The ones giggling like 12 year old girls are the ones who never served. Unlike the 30% of Federal workers who did. Says it all about the trailer trash and draft dodgers and frat boys snickering at others' illegal firing. Those who are not against us are with us. And, the twerps are, oh so gratefully so, not with us. Would you go into battle with Ellen or F-elon? The Royal Richie Blue Falcons of all time.

Anonymous said...

Every day we are owning the libs they are squealing like pigs. It’s very satisfying. Squeal liberal pigs, squeal!

Anonymous said...

@12:46 Because talking about that is antisemitic.

Anonymous said...

To all of you Musk haters: come back here when you’ve caught a rocket with a pair of chopsticks and then maybe I’ll consider what you post.

Anonymous said...

China has been around for a much longer time than the USA has. They care not
what Trump does. He won’t be here in 4 years. A mere blip on Chinas’ radar screen. China plays the long game while we play quarter by quarter on Wall Street. Russia is playing Trump like a Stradivarius, all they have to do is stroke his ego, or he owes them money! We still have not seen Trumps’ tax returns!
I like many of Trump’s policies but something seems off.

Anonymous said...

March 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM, Trump doesn't need to carry a gun, he's using your tax money to pay someone to do it for him. That sure is nice of you.

Anonymous said...

Musk have mercy.

Anonymous said...

3:50 PM, yea libs are squealing like the little b_____s they are, worried sick about their grifts.

Re: SNL, who gives a ____ what a bunch of entertainment industry perverts, that give a standing ovation to a fugitive child rapist, thinks?

Anonymous said...

ity's the classic organized crime takeover of an existing business. Already headed for the bustout as fast as they can get there.

The higher the debt ceiling the bigger the bustout!

Anonymous said...

Just wait until a college football team charter has a midair with a Thanksgiving weekend flight from Austin headed to Cancun. Because the 'new and improved' air traffic control system works about as well as someone's supposed Full Self Drive software and hardware does!

Anonymous said...

I nominate Musk for POTUS in '28. If Obama can serve, so can Musk.

Anonymous said...

DOGE will have little effect on government spending or the national debt. In fact, DOGE will become a substantial bureaucracy within 4 years. Another money sucking, do-nothing, agency that only impedes the remaining efficiency of all other agencies. Since the debt and annual deficit can't be effectively addressed, Trump will need a face-saving way to avoid dealing with either. Fellow Americans, prepare yourself for war. Not some overseas "police action". A real war that engages our entire military machine and American lives and lands are destroyed.

Anonymous said...

@11:19 PM You are kidding of course. Why would Musk want such a demotion when he already runs things without the strings attached? DUH

Anonymous said...

@9:47 AM, Like any lefty lunaticking libtard will tell you, Musk is a megalomaniac. He'll have the position just to stroke his own ego. DUH

Arbiter of Truth said...

@11:19 Musk will be at his starbase on Phobos (Martian moon) in 2028.
You people have no clue about what is really happening. Maybe some of you who play Warhammer 40K or read The Expanse might be putting it all together by now. But President of the USA? Nah, more like God Emperor of the Solar System.



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