An Open Letter to the Congress
and the President of the United States
For
the last 35 years, educators and analysts at The Heritage Foundation
have been intimately involved in the nation’s great public policy
debates. In all that time, we have never encountered legislation with
such far-reaching and revolutionary policy implications as the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act currently before Congress. And never have
we seen a bill more cloaked in secrecy or more withdrawn from open
public exposure and honest debate.
In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever
proposed, this measure calls for a massive expansion of the federal
government’s reach into the day-to-day life of virtually every citizen,
business and civic organization in the nation. That, in itself, should
be the subject of an extensive public conversation and thoughtful
debate. Instead, we have seen Congressional leaders schedule snap votes
on a 1,434-page bill that no one—repeat, no one—has had a chance to read
in its entirety, much less digest and deliberate.
This bill has been advertised as an economic stimulus
bill—despite the fact that the Congressional Budget Office estimates it
will actually weaken our nation's long-term economic growth. While the
stimulative utility of the bill is, at best, questionable, it would
unquestionably rewrite the social contract between the American people
and their government. For example:
- The bill reverses the bipartisan and highly successful
welfare reforms of 1996 and drastically expands the welfare state.
For instance, it will start rewarding states for adding people to
their welfare rolls, rather than for helping them find gainful
employment. And contrary to long-established practice, it will
entitle able-bodied adults without children to receive cash
assistance.
- It does extreme violence to the concept of
federalism—bailing out states that have spent irresponsibly at the
expense of taxpayers in states that have been fiscally prudent.
- It greatly shifts the responsibility and power over health
care delivery and decision making from individuals to government.
Among other things, it would create a new federal health board to
decide which medical services are “effective” in America, paving the
way for government effectively to overrule the clinical decisions of
private physicians.
- It deliberately censors religious speech and worship on
school campuses by prohibiting use of any “stimulus” funds for
facilities that are used for sectarian instruction, religious
worship, or a school of divinity.
The list goes on. These and similar provisions will mean
fundamental changes in our society. In many instances, the bill would
establish policies that directly challenge widely held American values.
We are appalled that Congress is even contemplating such
profound changes with so little openness and due diligence. In the past,
major policy changes in our welfare system, or health care, or trade
policies, etc., were always, quite properly, preceded by extensive
public conversation and full debate. That is how a democracy should make
important decisions.
The failure of Congress and the Administration to allow that
debate is damaging to our democracy. Both chambers of Congress suspended
their budget rules to push it along. And both the President and the
leaders of the House and Senate have violated their solemn promises that
the bill would be available for several days of public review prior to
voting, so that the American people might have a chance to learn what is
in the bill and to make their views known to their elected officials.
This reckless approach to governance can only undermine public
faith in our elected officials and our government as a whole. We call on
Congress and the Administration to live up to their promises and stated
ideals, and give the democratic process a chance to work.
Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
President
The Heritage Foundation