One of the things Republicans often say they care about, at least during Democratic administrations, is the budget deficit. Given that our nation has added $1 trillion to the national debt in the last two months, driving it from $37 trillion to $38 trillion, their sudden silence on the subject is odd.

This is partly because Congress has been on holiday for most of the past two months, having become irrelevant since Jan. 20. More important, though, is that the skyrocketing debt is the natural result of the so-called “big, beautiful bill” tax cut that Sen. Susan Collins is defending in numerous TV ads. Economists warned that this tax cut, which largely goes to billionaires, would add trillions to the debt. Apparently, even they underestimated how much it would add and how quickly.

Fortunately for budget hawks, however, cutting off health care subsidies for low- and middle-income citizens will go a little ways to help pay for the tax cuts. Millions of Americans will lose their health insurance altogether, putting rural health care systems into further jeopardy, but certainly giving a few more bucks to our overtaxed billionaires is worth it, right?

Just get over it, Democrats, and reopen our non-functioning government. Anyone who thinks the path we are currently on is going to make America great again hasn’t been paying attention.

Peter Pfeiffer
Solon