Letter to the editor: Congress should get priorities straight

In past government shutdowns, after passing a budget, Congress has always passed retroactive pay for both government workers required to work through the shutdown and furloughed employees. Although it is a concerning temporary disruption in normal pay cycles and is a serious family household budget concern, it is essentially a retroactively paid vacation for some of these employees. I am not deriding these employees, as the Senate and Congress are responsible for these unacceptable occurrences.

No doubt the resulting budget will again spend American citizens’ money that is not there. In what commonsense world is it acceptable to spend more money than a household, business or government has? It is time to cut unchecked federal spending and return to a balanced budget. It is not Congress’ money, it is our money, and spending it foolishly should have consequences.

Congress’ priorities should be addressing the border, drug and crime crises and national defense, protective tariffs and bringing industry and manufacturing back inside America. Long-range climate and energy concerns cannot be solved immediately with an ill-thought-out, forced anti-fossil-fuel policy and unsupportable mass electrification goals. Current electric auto performance is unacceptable, and battery power sources need to be more reliable and safer.

A more gradual plan is necessary so that the required increased automobile performance technology and acceptable safe power sources are achieved and increased infrastructure and power grids can be constructed, if that is America’s choice.

Realistically, America switching away from fossil fuels will not have a significant global climate impact until it becomes a worldwide accepted movement.

Rich Narushoff

Monroeville