Schumer’s Unintended Confession

In the fracas over President Trump’s suspension of all federal grants, quickly rescinded because it was too broad and indiscriminate, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer made an astounding statement that makes crystal clear what is wrong with modern government. Schumer said: “Virtually any organization, school, state, police office, county, town or community depends on federal grant money to run its day to day operations, and they’re all now in danger.” [Emphasis added.]

No school, state, local government, police department should ever depend on federal funding for “day to day operations.” To the extent that any such sub-federal entities do, they are no longer self-governing, or determining their own policies and actions. Because the federal money always comes with constraints, mandates, conditions, and strings. This centralization of money and power is on purpose, of course. It is the ideology of progressivism to acquire as much central control as possible.

Perhaps Senator Schumer exaggerates. The Wall Street Journal reports that “Federal dollars in 2022 made up 36% of state and 6.2% of local government budgets.” But in revealing that he thinks it is perfectly acceptable—even desirable—that all lower levels of government be dependent on the federal government, he has reminded everyone once again what Democrats stand for.

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