Episode 680: Pigs in the Swamp – Earmarks in the $1.2 Trillion Spending Bill

Newt discusses the $1.2 trillion spending package signed by President Joe Biden on March 23, 2024. The bill, which will fund the government through October 1st, contains numerous earmarks or pork barrel spending. Newt’s guest, David Ditch, Senior Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation, explains the process of funding the federal government and the issues with the current system. Ditch criticizes the increasing reliance on mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, which operate on autopilot and consume a growing share of the federal budget. He also criticizes the return of earmarks, which he says are often used to fund left-wing ideologies. Ditch suggests that budget reform is necessary to reduce wasteful spending.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.