To the editor:

The new regime in Washington, D.C. is bringing some issues to light that should have been brought for decades. The federal spending bill before Congress is the first big fight. The bill started out at 1,547 pages.

It seems unbelievable but reportedly congressmen did not have three days to read and two days to study the bill. Now that it cannot be passed in the present state and congressmen have time to read and discuss the many items, many unnecessary items are coming to light.

Examples:

— $10 billion in aid to farmers

–3.8% increase in pay for lawmakers who already earn $174,000 in pay plus enormous side benefits

–Exempted lawmakers from purchasing insurance on the Obamacare marketplace. The bill that the same lawmakers passed they are now rejecting for special privilege I presume.

–New health care policies

–A new stadium for the Washington Commanders (why should fans of other teams pay for the stadium of a competitor?)

–Items that would make Trump’s presidential role more difficult

–More money for education (they never fail to get more than their share as education keeps getting worse)

— Many pork barrel items aimed at buying votes from the lucky parties. An example of pork barrel is $15,000 of stimulus funds to Florida Atlantic University to study how alcohol affects a mouse’s motor function.

So typical of our Congress, when a bill that is mandatory has to be passed, Congress adds their pet ideas and pork for their friends or district. These items would never pass if submitted alone. That is one reason why we now have a $36 trillion debt with over $1 trillion interest a year as part of our budget.

In the fiscal year just ended, the government spent $6.75 trillion.

— 20% was for Social Security, the interest would pay 2/3rds of this humongous bill

–16% Medicare, the interest would pay 81% of that bill

–14% national defense, the interest would pay almost all

–13% health, the interest would pay all

The new spending bill submitted is based on keeping the debt growing at an unsustainable pace.

For the first time in my life, Washington is being undressed and voters can learn what all that rhetoric to be elected really was. It bodes well for the next few years. We might have someone with America in mind.

Of course those voters who are locked in regardless of what their party does won’t be listening. They may be on the receiving end of the gravy train so human nature wins over country.

On second thought, many won’t learn about this because the media won’t tell you. The same cheating has been there all along and media never told you. They were too busy covering the Democrats attacks on Trump. Why change now. What’s a trillion dollars anyway?

John Benedict

Cape Coral