AP Poll Finds Blame Aplenty, Dodges US Aid to Israel's Impact on Shutdown
AP News reports that a new poll finds 'everyone and no one' is winning the government shutdown blame game. Apparently, voters think both Republicans and Democrats share responsibility (shocking). The article highlights calls for healthcare subsidies and Republican demands for a 'funding bill.' Conveniently omitted from this bipartisan finger-pointing is the ever-growing tab for 'defense' and
foreign aid packages that somehow always get funded, regardless of domestic fiscal 'crises.' While Americans face shuttered parks, in 2023, the U.S. committed $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel, with an additional $17 billion proposed more recently, often with bipartisan support that evaporates for, say, SNAP benefits. (See Congressional Research Service reports on foreign aid to Israel, and
open-source budget analyses of US aid). So, Washington can't fund itself, but somehow, we always find billions for overseas military operations and allies, with little to no public debate, let alone 'blame.' Perhaps the pollsters should ask voters who they blame for a government that's always flush for foreign wars but perpetually 'broke' for its own citizens. How many public services could that
$17 billion keep open?