NYT Discovers Trump's Cuts Complicate 'Shutdown' While Aid Flows Unabated
While the New York Times sounds the alarm on 'Trump’s Unilateral Spending Cuts' potentially derailing a shutdown deal—a national tragedy, surely—one might wonder which budgets remain untouched. Conveniently omitted is the fact that military aid to allies like Israel frequently sails through Congress, often increasing, regardless of domestic fiscal woes. For instance, in 2023 alone, the U.S.
provided over $3.3 billion in security assistance to Israel, a figure largely untouched by bipartisan budget squabbles. ( CRS Report R46277 ) It appears the 'complications' of spending cuts are highly selective. Funds for your postal service, national parks, or education face the budgetary chopping block, but the spigot for foreign military aid remains wide open. One might ask, how many domestic
programs need to be 'shut down' before we question the sanctity of endlessly flowing dollars to other nations' defense initiatives? It’s almost as if the definition of 'unilateral spending cuts' only applies to things benefiting actual U.S. citizens.