There's an old saying: When you're in a hole, the first thing you should do is to stop digging. The United States of America is in a hole $36 trillion deep, and we're not only digging, we are frantically burrowing toward the earth's very core. We are in a major spending and debt crisis, and sooner or later, the bill will come due. 

Few in Congress seem to understand this, but Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is lashing out about the spending in the current continuing resolution (CR) being debated in Washington. And boy, howdy, is he ever on fire about it.

.@RepChipRoy: "SWAMP'S GONNA SWAMP!"

"We're just fundamentally un-serious about spending. As long as you got a blank check you can't shrink government. If you can't shrink government you can't live free!" pic.twitter.com/Rq644JewxY

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 17, 2024

In the video, Rep. Roy says:

Of course. I mean, the swamp's gonna swamp, right? 1400 pages, still haven't seen the text, multiple subject matters, uh, uh, important health care legislation, in the context of extenders, piled on the back of a 3-month CR with about $110 billion unpaid for, $25 billion to healthcare policy, half of which is paid for or we are being told is paid for, because of gimmicks and shuffling around the decks. Things like E15, which we didn't even have a full debate on. This is not the way to do business, right? And so, you know, we'd do something different since we've been given the majority again, we're adding I think $330 billion in literally, totally unpaid for additional deficit spending, just since November 5th. In 45 days. I don't see how that's doing what we're supposed to be doing. 

(Inaudible question from press)

Yeah, right now we'll try to keep moving forward the conference itself, owns this, right? The conference needs to decide whether we're actually serious about spending. They need to talk about "well, we've got to do mandatory spending reform, and bend the curve." But we just voted on a $200 million, uh, shift of dollars in Social Security that's going to shorten the time when Social Security expires. Or, it goes bankrupt. We're just fundamentally unserious about spending, as long as you've got a blank check, you can't shrink government, as long as you can't shrink government, you can't live free.

This isn't the only time Rep. Roy has blasted the CR process. There are, as always seems to be the case, little tidbits hidden within the CR that have no business being there, such as yet another ethanol subsidy as well as a Pharmacy Benefit Management scheme that has some of the major pharmaceutical companies doing handsprings.

1) We (members of Congress) haven’t seen the text yet… 2) it’s not clear it’s intended effect would work - I’ve heard many in Pharma CHEERING they’ll make MORE money… 3) PBM’s are part of the problem, not the whole problem… 4) This is not the way to do things. https://t.co/TBSM3L225a

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 15, 2024

E15 should not be in this disastrous CR/Supplemental, among most of the things being discussed - including a PBM bill that Pharma is dancing in the streets over... Call me crazy, but we should reduce the deficit and not pass stupid policies.

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 16, 2024

This is not the Way. And how long has it been, by the way, since Congress approved an actual budget? Oh, that's right - 1997. It would almost be funny if it wasn't so alarming; it's like they aren't even trying.

See Related: House Passes NDAA With Bipartisan Vote

Business As Usual: Washington Returns to Budget Fights After the Election

We should, yes, reduce the deficit. I'll go one step further and say that we must reduce not only the deficit but the national debt. This debt has absolutely exploded in recent years, and this is as close to an existential crisis as the United States has faced since the Cold War - maybe since World War 2. Congress can make all the noise they like about the deficit and the debt, but Chip Roy is one of the few to be pointing out that we first have to stop spending.

We, and our elected representatives, would do well to remember the words of the late Barry Goldwater:

I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is "needed" before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible.

To Congress, I can only say this: Stop digging.