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will be down to 1.8%. It is sufficient indication of how we have lost our way that it takes a book to even describe what is in the “big, beautiful bill.” The tax code has become a massive nightmare of complexity because it’s now a tool for social engineering and political favors rather than the vehicle through which we finance the legitimate functions of government.

Regarding spending, those who cower from making cuts in Medicaid should read my lips. If you care about the nation’s poor, let’s get our economy growing. And there is only one way to do this: less government, and lower and simpler taxes. Furthermore, is it too much to ask able-bodied adults, getting federal welfare, to work and put some money on the table toward their health care costs?

And, if we’re going to be truthful here, let’s get it out loud and clear. How can Republicans really claim credibility about wanting to deal with runaway government when the two single biggest government programs — Social Security and Medicare — are not even part of the discussion?

Per CBO, in 2025, Social Security and Medicare will account for more than a third of the 23.5% that federal spending is taking from GDP. By 2035, per CBO, Social Security and Medicare will consume 41% of federal spending.

The two largest federal programs, both with major fiscal problems, are not part of this discussion, and political leaders want to seem principled?

I ask every Republican to look in the mirror and ask themselves why they are serving.

Realize what I realized more than 30 years ago. Big government does not help but hurts our poor. The way to help the poor is growth, and the way to get growth is to get government out of the way.

Those who signed the Declaration of Independence concluded saying, “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.”

They courageously affixed their signatures knowing war with the British empire was inevitable.

The nation’s present and future is in great jeopardy. We have profoundly lost our way.

Those whose sense of mission is not aligned with the nation’s founders should seek a new line of work.

Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators. com. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS. COM