Why Doesn't the Big Beautiful Bill Cut the Budget More? A Defense
David Strom
The Big Beautiful Bill has taken a lot of PR hits of late, including from me and Elon Musk.
I love writing that line. It makes it sound like Elon Musk and I have similar influence, when everybody knows that I am the larger political force of the two.
The criticisms all boil down to one essential fact: the bill doesn't fundamentally change the trajectory of budget deficits continuing forever, and the national debt keeps increasing at an alarming rate.
If the United States faces an existential threat from an exploding debt and deficits as far as the eye can see, how does raising the debt limit and increasing so many parts of the budget do anything but make things worse? Worst of all, given all the work done by DOGE to slash government spending, why aren't those DOGE cuts put into law?
For all my criticisms of the Big Beautiful Bill, I also have said I would vote for it if I were in Congress. Ultimately, my criticisms are based on what I think ought to be done, not on what can be accomplished by a single bill that will ultimately be passed through the reconciliation process. If you don't pass this bill, nothing will get passed because Democrats can use the filibuster to stop anything else.
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https://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/06/04/why-doesnt-the-big-beautiful-bill-cut-the-budget-more-n3803468