House Republicans are seeking to balance the federal budget within 10 years by making significant spending cuts, but they have not yet provided a plan showing how they will achieve this. Russell Vought, former head of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Donald Trump and current leader of conservative think tank the Center for Renewing America, has emerged as a leading intellectual in the GOP on budgetary matters. Vought has proposed a 104-page memo outlining potential spending cuts across virtually every federal agency that would slash spending while leaving major social welfare programs untouched.
In a 104-page memo, Vought laid out his plan for potential spending cuts. In the memo, which is reported by the Post to mention the word ‘woke’ a total of 77 times, Vought said:
“America cannot be saved unless the current grip of woke and weaponized government is broken,”
“That is the central and immediate threat facing the country — the one that all our statesmen must rise tall to vanquish. The battle cannot wait. However, this woke and weaponized regime requires the resources of taxpayers to flourish and can be starved in order to dismantle it.”
Vought would also tell the Post:
“I’m tired of this focus on Social Security and Medicare, as if you’re climbing a mountain and can’t make any progress on that mountain until you go to the eagle’s nest on the top,”
“You take these cuts to the American people, and you win.”
The plan includes massive reductions in federal programs, many of which serve lower-income households, and targets programs that Vought describes as “woke” or “weaponized.” Democrats and the media have argued that the plan is unrealistic and cannot provide a path to a balanced budget, as it assumes rapid economic growth will occur as government spending is slashed, which is not likely.
Democrats and the media have questioned how much money can really be saved by targeting “wokeness,” however, many can look at government spending and understand that funding endless diversity and LGBTQ political movements with taxpayer funds is not a way to get government spending in order, and in part, targeting ‘wokeness’ may be a part of the equation.
