Tea partyers lost their oomph

What happened to the Tea Party? Members of Congress who campaigned as Tea Partyers promised to go to Washington and reduce the size of government and bring fiscal responsibility back to government.

Unfortunately for taxpayers, these promises of change, fiscal restraint and smaller government have proved to be nothing more than campaign rhetoric, as the debt and deficit continue to grow.

Some will defend the Tea Partyers and say that they are in the minority and won’t be able to accomplish their goals until they have a majority. This is nonsense, because there are enough Tea Partyers to block irresponsible spending legislation and force the Congress to make significant spending cuts.

Instead the Tea Partyers have gone along with Congressional Republican leaders and voted to increase the debt limit and pass continuing resolutions to fund government in the absence of a budget.

All Tea Partyers have to do is tell Republican and Democrat Congressional leaders that they will not vote for any more continuing resolutions and bills that increase the debt limit. This would force Congress get serious about reducing the debt and pass a budget that begins to reduce the deficit.

It seems that Tea Partyers have not changed Washington — Washington has changed the Tea Partyers. And why am I not surprised?

Victor Darst

West Dundee