Congressional Laziness About To Restart Taxpayer Funds For Biggest U.S. Abortion And Transgender Kids Mill
Planned Parenthood has expanded into 'transgender medicine' in a big way and Congress should cut any future federal funding.Planned Parenthood has expanded into 'transgender medicine' in a big way and Congress should cut any future federal funding.Who wants to eat a trillionaire?
Let me tell you about the very rich,” F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a century ago. “They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand.”
Last week’s SpaceX initial public offering made company founder and CEO Elon Musk the world’s first publicly known trillionaire — very different from all of us, at least on paper.
Bad enough he became too rich. Worse, Elon Musk became too independent.
On paper is doing plenty of heavy lifting. We’ll get back to that.
If billionaires “shouldn’t exist,” as our boring socialist friends never tire of saying, then a trillionaire must be not merely obscene but downright apocalyptic. If the existence of billionaires is a policy failure, the arrival of a trillionaire is a crime scene. Call Congress! Summon the United Nations! Eat the rich!
Let me tell you about the very left-wing. They are different from you and me. They enjoy little, and it does something to them. It makes them covetous where normal people are merely curious, bitter where normal people are merely skeptical, and stupid where the rest of us are trying very hard to be charitable.
Musk’s gargantuan wealth is a test no leftist can pass.
“If we liquidated Elon Musk as a financial entity we could each pocket $3,000,” one frivolous X user wrote. “Just putting that out there. 3K. Not bad.”
“Elon Musk is a trillionaire but it’s def the people on SNAP ruining your life,” a tedious Democratic strategist posted.
“Right? He could fund SNAP himself and still have a boatload left to spare,” a pseudonymous Marxist replied.
This is what happens when resentment collides with arithmetic.
“Elon Musk could easily fund” makes for a terrific party game, especially if everyone playing has skipped high school civics, freshman economics, and the day in third grade when Mrs. Campbell broke the news that Monopoly money was not legal tender.
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With $1 trillion, Musk could buy every major carmaker in America, Europe, and Japan. With $1 trillion, Musk could fund global famine relief dozens of times over, provide clean water to the world, rebuild Gaza, or hand every person on earth a modest cash gift. With $1 trillion, Musk could cover the United Nations’ humanitarian appeals, the Australian budget, or — according to my friend Mac Owens — roughly 3.5 miles of Gavin Newsom’s high-speed rail system.
Cool. Put it all on the board. Have fun. Pour another drink. (Maybe pour me one, too.)
But Musk does not have $1 trillion in a checking account. He is not Scrooge McDuck swan-diving into a vault of gold coins (not that it would even work that way). He owns shares in companies that other people believe are valuable because those companies build things, launch things, connect things, sell things, and promise things investors think may be worth a lot more later.
His wealth is not a pile of cash. It is a claim on productive enterprise.
The socialist imagination never really gets past the pile. The left sees wealth and pictures a dragon atop a hoard. It sees equity and imagines stolen bread. It sees a balance sheet and imagines a pantry that can be raided without consequence.
But Musk’s wealth cannot be “liquidated” without destroying much of the value the envious wish to seize. Sell enough shares, and the price falls. Seize the company, and watch the engineers leave. Convert capital into consumption, and the thing that made the wealth possible begins to disappear.
Welcome to Economics 102. Economics 101 teaches scarcity. Economics 102 teaches that capital is not loot.
None of this makes Musk a saint. I don’t know if he is a good man. I don’t know if any man should have as much influence as he has, and neither do his fanboys. Musk is erratic, strange, reckless, sometimes brilliant, and often his own worst enemy. But he is not a political theory. He is not a catechism. He is not your dad.
I know do this much, though: If Musk had not bought Twitter in 2022 for the eye-watering sum of $44 billion, Americans would know less about their own country and less about the people who presume to manage it.
That purchase did not make him richer. It made him more dangerous.
Dangerous to whom? To the people who think “misinformation” means information they cannot control. To governments that prefer pressure campaigns to open censorship. To NGOs that discovered a business model in laundering political speech control through the language of “safety.” To journalists who miss the days when a few institutions could decide which scandals were real and which ones respectable people were expected not to notice.
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This is why the hatred aimed at Musk is never really about money. The money supplies the moral pretext. Control supplies the motive.
The left does not hate Musk because he could “fund SNAP.” The federal government already spends enormous sums on SNAP, and no serious person believes American nutrition policy should depend on one weird rich guy hawking rocket shares. The left hates Musk because he took a portion of his unrealized fortune and bought a speech platform that was supposed to belong forever to the consensus managers.
Bad enough he became too rich. Worse, he became too independent.
A billionaire who funds the approved foundations may be vulgar, but he can be managed. A billionaire who underwrites lawsuits, climate conferences, university centers, “democracy” initiatives, and grants for people who use the word “equity” as an incantation may still be welcomed at the proper tables. His money can be baptized.
Musk’s money did something else. It bought the key to a door the regime wanted to remain locked.
No wonder they want to eat him.
Exclusive: Parents Group Finds Federally Funded ‘Independent’ Scientists Are Really Liberal Activists
NASEM claims to provide independent advice on STEM, but it has turned into a platform for pushing radical political agendas into classrooms.House Republicans STEAMROLL obstructionist Democrats, secure ICE funding for rest of Trump's term
Democrats have worked desperately to defund or at least hinder President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and mass deportation campaign. Their efforts have proven again to be in vain.
Last summer, congressional Republicans circumvented the various obstacles presented by their leftist colleagues, using budget reconciliation to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included $75 billion in new funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and tens of billions more for other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.
'All that Democrats have achieved by their shutdown is a useful reminder to the American people of their support for open borders.'
The war over immigration policy and funding heated up in subsequent months, featuring a pitched battle in which Democrats partially shut down the DHS for 75 days, only to then unconditionally surrender, passing funding for the DHS in the wake of the longest government shutdown in its history.
On Tuesday, Democrats were dealt another significant defeat.
Days after it was passed by the U.S. Senate in a 52-47 vote, the Secure America Act went to a vote in the House.
Ahead of the vote, the White House said in a statement, "The Secure America Act puts an end to Democrats’ political games by fully funding ICE and Border Patrol through President Trump’s term and providing the resources needed to keep our border secure, combat human trafficking, stop the flow of deadly drugs, dismantle criminal cartels, and enforce America’s immigration laws."
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"It is imperative that Congress immediately passes the Secure America Act to fully fund these critical components," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
"It has been more than 100 days since congressional Democrats defunded ICE and Border Patrol in a radical attempt to protect violent criminal illegal aliens and undermine President Trump’s highly successful border security agenda."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), among the Democrats who futilely signaled their opposition to the bill, stated, "As if ripping health care and nutritional assistance in the One Big Ugly Bill wasn’t enough, Republicans have now come back for more to give ICE and Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine another $70 billion blank check with no oversight, no accountability, and no guardrails."
"As Democrats, we rise in strong opposition to this Republican scheme. Waste of taxpayer dollars," added Jeffries.
To Jeffries' chagrin, the Secure America Act passed in a 214-212 party-line vote.
This funding bill will allocate $38 billion to ICE, $26 billion to Customs and Border Protection, and $5 billion in additional funding to the DHS through September 2029.
Following the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) emphasized that "Washington Democrats gained **NOTHING** from their RECKLESS CRUSADE to return our country to OPEN BORDERS and UNFETTERED MASS MIGRATION. Republicans will ALWAYS stand with America's law enforcement."
"All that Democrats have achieved by their shutdown is a useful reminder to the American people of their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in American communities — policies that have been soundly rejected by the American people over and over again," wrote Johnson. "We hope this episode serves as a future reminder to Democrats that when they shut the government down, they will receive less than nothing in return."
President Trump is set to ratify the Secure America Act in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
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AIPAC targets Massie with massive spend as primary hits the homestretch
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates throw around tens of millions of dollars in American elections to ensure that hardline supporters of Israel are elected to the U.S. Congress on both sides of the aisle.
While the pro-Israel lobbying firm has long enjoyed success in America, it has encountered a number of setbacks in recent months.
For instance, by recently pouring millions of dollars into the Democratic primary against former New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski over his criticism of the Israeli government, AIPAC unwittingly paved the way for a fiercer critic of Israel, Analilia Mejia, to succeed ex-Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
'One Republican is standing in the way.'
In Illinois, AIPAC also made a bad investment in Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who got crushed in the 7th District Democrat primary to replace retiring incumbent Rep. Danny Davis.
Despite its recent missteps and growing unpopularity on the left, AIPAC still appears confident that it can help unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R) in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District by characterizing him as a turncoat and Republican challenger Ed Gallrein as the optimal choice.
The United Democracy Project, an AIPAC super PAC established in 2022, recently spent $790,000 for a week of broadcast and cable ads in the Cincinnati, Louisville, and Charleston media markets, reported the Jewish Insider.
In the 30-second ad that AIPAC apparently hopes will hurt Massie, a narrator states, "What happened to Thomas Massie? He's flipped. Massie started out as a conservative Republican but now votes with liberal Democrats."
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The ad does not specify which votes the UDP perceives as blemishes on Massie's record. The congressman did, however, recently vote in favor of resolutions directing Trump to remove the U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, and voted last year against Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In November 2023, he also ruffled feathers when casting the lone "no" vote in Congress against a resolution that: reaffirmed the State of Israel's right to exist, deemed denial of that right a form of anti-Semitism, rejected calls for Israel's destruction, and condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Massie stated at the time that he agreed with the "title 'Reaffirming the State of Israel's Right to Exist' and much of the language," but voted no "because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism."
"On Israel, Massie votes with AOC and Ilhan Omar again and again," says the narrator of the AIPAC ad. "Massie's a flippin' disaster. That's why President Trump supports Ed Gallrein for Congress."
Blaze News reached out to Massie's office for comment.
In October, Trump endorsed Gallrein, a farmer and Navy SEAL combat veteran whose website notes that he's "fighting for President Trump's and the Republican Party's America First Agenda."
Last month, Trump reiterated his support for the GOP challenger, stating that Massie — a lawmaker with an 86.77% lifetime Turning Point Action score and a 91.25% score this Congress — is the "Worst 'Republican' Congressman we have had in many years," and that Gallrein is alternatively "the person that will help us do the job, and do it right."
The UDP previously blew over $328,000 in 2024 on a television campaign attacking Massie, reported McClatchy DC.
"Republicans are trying to help Israel," said the 2024 ad. "But one Republican is standing in the way. It's Kentucky's Tom Massie."
A spokesman for UDP said at the time that the AIPAC group wanted "to make sure every voter in the state knows how bad he is on Israel."
Recent polling suggests that AIPAC might be throwing good money after bad as far as Massie's race goes.
According to a Quantum Insights poll released on April 9, Massie led Gallrein 46.8% to 37.7% among likely Republican voters, with 14% undecided and 1.5% saying they wouldn't vote. The same poll found that 49.9% of respondents preferred a candidate who is independent-minded while 37.4% preferred a strong Trump supporter.
On the prediction market platform Polymarket, Massie presently leads Gallrein 71% to 28.6%.
The primary race will be held on May 19.
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America built smart cars on dumb road funding
On Friday, in an open letter to the 119th Congress, I joined more than 100 economists and public policy experts from universities, think tanks, and businesses across the country urging practical reform of the Highway Trust Fund. Our message is straightforward: Congress can — and should — take incremental, bipartisan steps now to put the fund on a stable, sustainable path.
The Highway Trust Fund long embodied a simple user-fee compact: People who use the roads pay for them. That bargain delivered predictable funding and reinforced fiscal discipline.
Congress has repeatedly patched the shortfall with transfers from the general fund, which papers over the problem while weakening the principle that made the system durable.
Now the system is fraying. Fuel taxes have not kept pace with inflation, rising construction costs, or improved fuel efficiency. Electric and hybrid vehicles — a growing share of the fleet — often contribute little or nothing through fuel taxes. Congress has repeatedly patched the shortfall with transfers from the general fund, which papers over the problem while weakening the principle that made the system durable.
Congress does not need to solve every long-term challenge in one bill. It can make meaningful progress in the next surface transportation reauthorization, which lawmakers must pass by Sept. 30.
First, lawmakers should reinforce the user-pay principle by ensuring all road users — including drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles — contribute a fair share through transparent, enforceable mechanisms. Fairness demands no less. When some users effectively get an exemption, the burden shifts to everyone else or to taxpayers at large.
Second, Congress should improve price sensitivity. Heavy commercial vehicles impose disproportionate wear and tear on highways and bridges. User fees should better reflect vehicle weight and road impact. That change would improve fairness and send clearer economic signals about infrastructure costs. A system that reflects actual use and damage is more rational — and more defensible.
Third, legislators should evaluate a transition from per-gallon fuel taxes to mileage-based user fees. A well-designed road-usage charge would ensure payments reflect miles driven and vehicle characteristics.
Any transition must preserve the core user-pay principle while avoiding disproportionate burdens on low-income households, small businesses, and farmers. State pilot programs show mileage-based systems can protect privacy and maintain public trust. Congress should build on that experience rather than delay modernization.
Fourth, Washington should reduce reliance on general-fund bailouts and set clearer expectations for revenue reform in the next major reauthorization cycle. Temporary patches undermine fiscal responsibility and create uncertainty for state planners and private investors.
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Revenue reform alone will not secure the system. Transportation infrastructure now depends on digital systems that guide vehicles and manage logistics. America’s economy relies heavily on GPS-enabled positioning and timing. Disruptions to systems overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation would ripple across freight networks, emergency services, and daily commutes.
China and Russia have shown the capability to interfere with satellite systems and GPS signals. A prolonged outage would cost billions of dollars per day. Vehicles sold in the U.S. should incorporate tested backup positioning technologies to guard against such threats.
Supply-chain security also demands attention. Chinese firms such as BYD and CATL dominate global battery production. The concentration of manufacturing — and embedded telematics — in companies subject to influence by the Chinese Communist Party raises legitimate concerns about espionage and strategic vulnerability.
The U.S. should expand domestic battery production and charging infrastructure, reducing dependence on foreign-controlled systems that can compromise data security and resilience.
Finally, Congress should pursue sensible federal deregulation to reduce the needlessly high cost of transportation projects — and require state and local partners to do the same. Streamlined permitting, faster reviews, and fewer duplicative requirements would stretch every Highway Trust Fund dollar and deliver projects faster.
These proposals are not partisan. They are practical steps rooted in fiscal responsibility and national security. A stable source of funding for roads is not merely a budget issue; it is essential to economic competitiveness, national mobility, and public safety. By reinforcing the user-pay principle, modernizing revenue mechanisms, protecting digital infrastructure, and strengthening supply chains, Congress can signal a shared commitment to safeguarding America’s transportation future.
The 119th Congress has an opportunity to restore the Highway Trust Fund’s integrity. Lawmakers should seize it.
'Sham businesses': Vance announces the halt of Medicaid funds to Minnesota over alleged fraud
Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the federal government will temporarily halt certain Medicaid payments to the state of Minnesota, citing what he described as verified fraud within a state-run program.
Vance said the move is aimed at ensuring Minnesotans are “good stewards of the American people’s tax money.”
'They’re going to fraudsters in Minneapolis. That is unacceptable.'
“We’re announcing today that we have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that are going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligation seriously,” Vance said.
Vance clarified that providers on the ground in Minnesota have already been paid by the state. The federal government is pausing reimbursement payments to the state government, not direct payments to providers.
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Vance pointed to what he described as a confirmed case of fraud involving a program intended to provide after-school services to autistic children.
According to Vance, some individuals set up “sham businesses,” created fake clients, and even listed individuals “who are not even autistic” in order to collect Medicaid funds.
“A program that existed to ensure that autistic children had access to some after-school services has made a number of people rich,” Vance said, adding that the money “ought, by right, go to American citizens and to American families.”
He argued that the alleged fraud not only wastes taxpayer dollars but also diverts services away from children who genuinely need them.
“There are kids in Minnesota who deserve these services, who need these services, and they’re not going to those kids,” Vance said. “They’re going to fraudsters in Minneapolis. That is unacceptable.”
“One of the things I love about our country is that we’re a generous country,” Vance said.
“We take care of our fellow citizens who can’t afford medical care because they’re down on their luck.”
He added that programs like Medicaid and food assistance exist to ensure families have access to “food, medical care, after-school services when their family needs them.”
However, Vance said that in Minnesota and other states, “the generosity and the good hearts of our fellow Americans are being taken advantage of.”
“This is disgraceful. It has happened for too long,” Vance said. “Far too many people have gotten rich by taking what is the best of the American spirit and getting rich off of it instead of providing services to kids who need it.”
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz's office and the Department of Human Services of Minnesota did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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