How Republicans Govern
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The Senate nearly unanimously passed a bill for new programs to fight against opioid addiction. Something can be bipartisan! Well, sort of. Republicans did much of the legwork on this, particularly Rob Portman and Kelly Ayotte, both of whom really need to show they have actually done something in the last 6 years. So Republicans are finally see that spending resources on social programs can be a good idea, right? Ha ha, no. Of course these programs are unfunded.
It was threatened by Democrats who were angered that Republicans turned away an accompanying measure to provide $500 million in extra funding to pay for what the bill authorizes.
“What good are additional programs if they aren’t adequately funded?” asked Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania. “We can’t ask medical professionals to do more to treat addiction if they don’t have the resources.” (Mr. Portman and Ms. Ayotte were among five Republicans to vote for the extra funding measure.)
But in the end, the bill was considered too urgent to dismiss over a funding fight.
But at least now Republicans can blame someone when this doesn’t work–lazy case workers and ineffective government. Better to devolve it all to the states where Bobby Jindal and Rick Snyder can lead!