Congress illegally spent at least $516 billion in 2024 on programs for which there was no authorization. Yes, billion, with a “b.” A stunning report by the Congressional Budget Office underscores the reason for the legal assault upon President Trump’s right to audit payments by the Treasury Department.
In a report titled “Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024,” the CBO observes: “Historically, House and Senate rules restrict lawmakers from considering an appropriation if it lacks a current authorization.” Nevertheless, “CBO estimates that $516 billion was appropriated for 2024 for activities with expired authorizations, which the agency identified for each House and Senate authorizing committee and appropriations subcommittee.” That $516 billion in illegal payments cover “1,264 authorizations of appropriations that expired before the beginning of fiscal year 2024 and 251 authorizations of appropriations that were set to expire by the end of fiscal year 2024.” The legal authority for some of these payments expired 40 — that’s not a typo — years ago.
This data reveals a couple of things. First, Congress has established a shadow funding stream for pet projects of either the institution or of senior members that allows money to be shoveled into a porkulus spending bill under the guise of preventing a government shutdown. The money is paid even though there is no legal authority for the disbursement. This is what, among lesser beings, would be called embezzlement, but no word exists to describe the activity on this scale. Where embezzlement gets the plebians a stiff jail term, it gets members of Congress reelected and seats on corporate boards.
Outrageous isn’t it !!
where does the buck stop? what I mean is exactly who was able to keep authorizing these funds to be distributed? a civil servant employee, like a clerk? no. We need actual names of these thieves and then they need to be put in jail and treated like our patriotic J6 prisoners were treated!!