While the media is focused on the conflict in Ukraine, Congress has been occupied debating another massive $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill.

This is perhaps the last of attempts by the Democrats to push their agenda through before the GOP is expected to take over early next year.

The bill they have got in front of them is divided into two sections:

• $730 billion dedicated to total non-defense spending, which was passed with 260 votes for and 171 against.
• $782 billion dedicated to defense funding, which was passed with 361 votes for and 69 votes against. 

Within these bills, the GOP was able to retain $2 billion of previously-allocated border wall construction funds.

The bill also dedicates an additional $370 million to “enhanced border security.”

Did the GOP compel the Democrats to spend more on the U.S. border? Was this a moment of triumph?

Before you leap with joy to celebrate, the borders being fortified are those of Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Oman, Nepal, and Pakistan.

There are all kinds of vaguely worded programs, some of which may be good but also may be useless pork, or even worse, wokester pork.

Under the ‘Economic Support Fund’ section dedicates over $40,000,000 for ‘democracy programs for Venezuela.’

The bill provides around $10 million for improving television and radio broadcasting capabilities in countries such as Cuba.

The bill includes a provision that expands diversity, equality, and inclusion at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The bill also dedicates $6 million to Russians "engaging in free-market development, humanitarian activities, and civic engagement" but will "not be used for Russian government officials.”

The bill also dedicates $66 million for the “Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health.

The bill dedicates over $100 billion to Green New Deal initiatives, and advance “racial justice” through Department of Agriculture programs.

The bill dedicates $78.3 million for the Department of Agriculture to study the impacts of climate change and research on clean energy technologies and greenhouse gas reductions.

NASA receives $7.6 billion for scientific research on topics such as changing climate.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gets $100 million for environmental justice activities.

$26 billion has been dedicated for food stamp funding.

$75 million has been allotted to low-emission vehicles.

$26 billion have been dedicated for food stamp funding.

The legislation contains $575 million to fund programs that combat abuse and sexual assault against women.

The spending bill provides a 2.7% salary hike for all active-duty troops.

The bill originally had $15 billion in coronavirus aid; however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved to remove the item following both Democrat and GOP opposition to the measure.

The package delivers $14 billion in emergency funding for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

$3.5 billion for sending new military equipment and $3 billion for deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine.

This goes against Biden’s promise to not put boots on the ground in Ukraine.

The bill could have been released in an easy-to-understand Excel Sheet with items and the corresponding amounts.

But no, the bill is over 2,700 pages and was released at midnight on Tuesday by the Democrats, just 12 hours before the vote.

If a regular citizen attempts to read the contents of this bill deep slumber or boredom certainly will occur.

Washington purposefully makes it wordy, complex, and tiresome. The goal is to prevent you from clearly understanding where your money is gratuitously spent.

The aim is to make wear you off with boredom.

You either rely on biased news organizations for a pre-digested version. Even reading an article such as this may seem rather tiresome because it is about figures. So people opt for escapism and binge the latest horror show on Netflix.

This is nothing short of outrageous because all of this is your money.

What is worse is most of the foreign aid and other cosmetic spending could be a legalized form of corruption.

A group of lawmakers can dedicate billions to a cause. Some of this money ends up boosting companies that donate to the lawmaker’s campaign. If the lawmaker decides to give up politics, one of these companies offers then handsomely paid employment

We have a specific instance.

The bill dedicates $3.5 billion for sending new military equipment abroad. This military equipment will be bought from private firms. These private firms donate to political campaigns. Perhaps employ relatives. Perhaps find innovative ways to circulate the fund around in such a fashion that it is almost untraceable. Perhaps a book deal or a speaking assignment is given to the lawmaker after retirement. It also has to be remembered that money dedicated to an item is not necessarily money spent.

Money spent is not necessarily money spent in the right places.

The two billion dedicated to the wall doesn’t mean the border wall will be built with ease. There will be impediments and local issues.

In all this chaos the concern about the citizen is often the last priority. Over the past year, the American citizen has suffered dues to inflation, lawlessness, a breakdown of law and order, vaccine mandates, and an uncontrolled influx of unvetted migrants and refugees.

This occurs irrespective of party and ideology.

This is what President Trump rightly called a swamp.

A self-serving, self-promoting and self-preserving body that cares very little about the people beyond.

The deal is empty symbolism and sloganeering to deceive their base that they care.

They say BLM but do nothing about the lawlessness that affects black people.

They claim to care about the environment but travel solo by private jet.

They talk about the need to address income inequality while they host private fundraisers with billionaires where shady deals are struck and the items end up in a spending bill.

They claim to care for the little guy but order you to make ‘sacrifices’ by paying more for petrol for the sake of democracy in Ukraine

How can we drain the swamp?

We first bring about term limits for all lawmakers and for the administrative services.

Washington has to be desegregated and spread all over the country, especially those places they pejoratively call ‘flyover country’

Do not expect Washington to sign their own death warrant.

For that to happen, the voters will have to send a group of brave, honest, and upright freedom-loving conservatives to Washington.

Washington will vilify these lawmakers, they will be called racist, sexist, and white supremacist merely to stop them from making any changes. Sadly, most succumb to pressure and are gobbled into the Washington machine.

It will hence take decades of commitment by voters to elect the right sort of people who will eventually begin dismantling the unholy Washington establishment.

As for the omnibus bill, it now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers will continue negotiating and deal-making, it finally ends at Joe Biden’s desk.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License