Potomac Fever [Federal Spending]

Cato ^ | December 16, 2005 | Chris Edwards

[ncountylee]

Congress is being criticized for funding pork projects and for a general lack of fiscal restraint. Many people agree that there is a spending problem in Washington, but not many understand the fundamental causes.

Why have Republicans abandoned their pledge in the 1994 Contract with America to cut "government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money"? Did the GOP simply decide that it was good politics to buy votes with lavish special-interest spending?

That is one cause of the budget crisis, but not the core problem. With the extraordinarily high reelection rates in Congress, any political advantage gained from special-interest spending is not crucial. The real problem is the pro-spending mindset ingrained in long-time legislators. It's called "Potomac Fever," and it causes members of Congress to see themselves as philanthropists with unlimited means to solve every problem in society.

Potomac Fever is fueled by the thousands of interest groups in Washington that trumpet the benefits of favored programs. For legislators, spending rewards their egos because they get lauded in the media for their noble public service, they get praised by program beneficiaries, they get toasted at gala dinners in their honor, and they get buildings and highways named after them.

Unfortunately, members of Congress forget that they are spending other people's money. They don't consider the private activities that would occur if resources weren't redirected to Washington to fund their "philanthropy."

[ncountylee]

Patty Murray and Barbara Boxer, two of the dimmer bulbs, lead the pork charge with 81 and 67 projects respectively.