It’s Time to Have a Guns Versus Butter Debate

A Colt AR-15 sits on the counter of Dave's Guns in Denver on Sept. 13, 2004. Thomas Cooper/Getty Images

Commentary

As Congress debates President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” the members of both the House of Representative and the Senate should also have a long overdue “guns versus butter” debate. At a time when the United States spends 80 percent of federal revenue ($4 trillion) on entitlement programs and the other 20 ($880 billion) percent on debt repayment, all while borrowing $2 trillion (30 percent of federal spending) to pay for defense and other government operations, it is time to have the conversation everyone is avoiding. With China, North Korea, and Russia attempting to topple the international order built by the United States, members of Congress must finally come clean on their profligate spending and its implications for the future security of this country.