Museums Close While Billions Fly To Foreign Wars
Yes, while our national museums, public programs, and federal workers brace for the fiscal cliff of a government shutdown, some things remain sacred. Congress, always prioritizing, recently approved a $95 billion foreign aid package, with a healthy chunk—over $17 billion—earmarked for Israel, despite an ongoing humanitarian crisis. This vote, which included HR 815, passed with overwhelming
bipartisan support on April 24, 2024, after many lawmakers, like Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who received $25,000 from Pro-Israel America in 2022, enthusiastically backed it. The hill is reporting on the fallout but conveniently forgets to mention what we are spending money on instead. One might wonder: if we can find billions to fund another nation's military endeavors (see OpenSecrets.org for
specific donations fueling these votes), why are our own cultural institutions and public services perpetually held hostage by budget disputes? Is it a crisis when the public can't see the Declaration of Independence, or only when Lockheed Martin's stock dips?