This week, Congress will seek to pass a continuing-resolution spending bill — merely kicking the can down the road, instead of taking genuine action to slash unconstitutional, wasteful federal spending. However, left out of the spending negotiations discussion is the fact that the vast majority of congressional spending is unconstitutional, falling outside its “few and defined” enumerated powers in Article I, Section 8. Accordingly, Congress must only spend money in accordance with the Constitution.
Federal spending is out of control — and the vast majority of it is blatantly unconstitutional. If not stopped, this fiscal recklessness will destroy our Republic. Congress must act immediately to drastically reduce its bloated, unconstitutional spending spree.
In November 2024, the U.S. national debt surpassed $36 trillion, and it continues to quickly expand with $6 billion being borrowed every day. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that another $22 trillion will be added by 2033. Furthermore, spending levels continue to grow — for example, Congress used Covid-19 as an excuse to pass an additional $6 trillion in spending, on top of already irresponsible spending levels.
This spending is going toward wasteful and destructive priorities, including funding the ever-growing federal bureaucracy, welfare programs, and foreign interventionism. Very little of it is actually going to activities authorized by the Constitution or that benefit the American people.
Furthermore, the federal government’s massive spending — which encourages the Federal Reserve to expand the money supply — is contributing to the high inflation levels we’re seeing. Ultimately, this overspending is grossly unsustainable, and is contributing to the erosion and decline of our constitutional republic.
The only federal spending that is appropriate is the small fraction that’s constitutional — specifically authorized by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. All other federal spending that falls outside Article I, Section 8 is unconstitutional — nor is it needed.
About 80 percent of the current federal government is unconstitutional — and it exists because Congress voted for it in direct violation of the Constitution. Congress has clearly strayed far from the Constitution, and it must immediately return to adherence. Rather than exceed its clearly defined limitations or proposing new constitutional amendments, such as a balanced budget amendment through an Article V convention, as some suggest, Congress needs to boldly enforce the Constitution as written.