As millions await the the latest Star Wars movie, the House Republicans have released their show of farce.  What had been hoped for as a show of force under new House leadership was to be a reining in of out-of-control spending, regulatory agencies gone wild, crony capitalism, and amateurish response to terrorist threats and deeds on our shores.  What the American public has gotten instead is an affirmation of French wisdom: “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” or “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”  Prime example is the current proposed omnibus spending bill.

We clamored for the replacement of teary-eyed Republican House leader John Boehner and his ineffectual opposition to President Obama’s progressive agenda.  We got hipster-bearded Paul Ryan as the new leader, and his funding support of a big chunk of President Obama’s progressive agenda and Democratic dream legislation.  The omnibus spending bill funds Obama’s wish list of regulatory diktats, including a “Green Climate Fund”; continues funding for the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and extends the wind and solar tax credits for another five years.  Crony capitalism is funded via permanent extensions to the R&D tax credit for businesses, Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, college tuition, and expense tax credits.  Dodd-Frank survives revision.  Mideast Immigration Programs survive modifications to correct security faults exposed by recent terrorist attacks on our soil.  Unsustainable national debt increases are baked into the bill.

The Republican leadership, “a farce for change.”

Charles G. Battig, M.S., M.D., Piedmont Chapter president, VA-Scientists and Engineers for  Energy and Environment (VA-SEEE).  His website is www.climateis.com.