Congress’ penchant for passing legislation and reading it later is becoming habit-forming.
And expensive.
Remember that fiscal-cliff deal Congress OK’d while the country teetered on the brink last week?
Turns out it included close to $70 billion in special tax breaks and corporate welfare — courtesy of the best lobbyists DC has to offer.
Who knew?
See, Congress was facing a crisis (albeit, one of its own making) during the New Year’s Day weekend. After a deal was struck, senators got the text of the bill — and were asked to vote on it less than 10 minutes later.
So often in Washington, opportunists — in this case, lobbyists — use crisis situations to sneak in their pet projects. And no one knows.
Until it’s too late.
Which is precisely what happened this time.
And so, the must-pass fiscal-cliff bill, which raised taxes on folks making more than $400,000, ended up including such dubious provisions as:
* $12.2 billion over the next decade in tax credits for renewable-energy projects — wind-power, biomass, hydropower generation, etc.
* $11 billion in tax deferments for corporations with overseas subsidiaries.
* $430 million in tax breaks for Hollywood producers who make films in the United States.
* $222 million for rum producers in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
* A $22 million tax break for building a racetrack (a k a, “the NASCAR loophole”).
* $15 million a year for asparagus growers.
* $4 million for people who buy “two- or three-wheeled plug-in electric vehicles” — electric scooters, Segways, etc.
Maybe these items can be defended on a case-by-case basis.
But the fact is that members of Congress had no idea what they’re approving.
And taxpayers will foot the bill.
Let’s face it: As long as the White House and Congress can’t get their acts together and pass budgets and tax and spending bills in an orderly manner, there will inevitably be more insane, must-pass deals filled with costly special-interest giveaways that clever lobbyists slip into the fine print.
It’s a heckuva way to run a government.