WHO CARES: Rep. Bruce Westerman took the House floor for an hour to talk about the national debt.

Along with beautiful coal, a topic missing from Donald Trump’s long speech last night was the national debt. Remember when that was all Republicans, particularly in Arkansas, could talk about? Apparently they were all wrong.

Don’t believe me. Ask Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s budget director. Reports New York on that topic, from a list of pertinent quotes:

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“Right now we are nearly $20 trillion in debt, but Mick is a very high-energy leader with deep convictions for how to responsibly manage our nation’s finances and save our country from drowning in red ink.” —President Trump, as quoted in the Washington Post, “Trump names Rep. Mick Mulvaney, a fiscal hawk, to head budget office,” December 2016.

“When asked if the deficit will be mentioned in #SOTU speech, chief of staff Mulvaney said “nobody cares,” per attendee.”

Nobody cares? Tell it to Arkansas Republicans. Heck it was only last August when Politico asked Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, long a deficit hawk, this question:

What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention?

“I continue to have grave concerns about the trajectory of our national debt. Our national debt is growing at an unsustainable pace, and the public, press and policymakers rarely give it the attention it deserves.”

When Sen. Tom Cotton joined the Senate Budget Committee last year, he said:

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“The Senate Budget Committee handles some of the most pressing issues our nation faces, such as making sure our armed services have the support they need and restraining our ever-rising national debt,”

Millionaire banker Rep. French Hill said a few months ago:

“Our children and grandchildren depend on us to solve our debt problem and give them a brighter future.” 

Rep. Bruce Westerman spoke a solid hour in the House last year on the debt.

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Sen. John Boozman is on record: The debt is “astounding” and “troubling.”

Rep. Rick Crawford?

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Out-of-control government spending remains the biggest threat to
our nation’s future prosperity and national security

Rep. Steve Womack? You know he’s all about the debt. Sure he voted for the deficit-swelling tax cut for the rich, but he did at least vote to cut Medicare and Social Security because of the growing debt. Said he then: “The time is now Congressress to step up and confront the biggest challenge facing our society.”

What a bunch of dopes. Nobody cares.  The debt is growing at nearly a trillion-a-year pace, to near $22 trillion and Trump’s budget will goose it still more. Nobody cares. During the campaign, he promised to erase the national debt in eight years. Nobody cares. Consider that promise when you think you might believe anything he said last night.

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UPDATE: The Democrat-Gazette’s Frank Lockwood was invited with other regional reporters to talk to Trump today. He was asked about the debt. He said it was more important to spend on defense currently. Lockwood quoted Trump:  “Look, that’s more important than balancing the budget, which I can always do at the right time.”

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