I think it was Biden some time ago or others that said "show me you budget and I will show you your values". So now we have something called the CROMNIBUS being ready for vote in Congress. So what values does that large bill that funds out government do to reflect our values:
It weakens the Clean Water Act. It may exempt lead bullets and tackle from being regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
It provides the EPA with a 60 million dollar cut and blocks the Green Climate Fund and elements of the executive order on climate change that President Obama wrote.
Gives 64 billion to the Pentagon for the ISIS fight, but it is not counted against any budget caps.
It weakens the Dodd-Frank law passed after the country almost went into a depression by easing restrictions on derivative trading, one of the major things that got us into trouble.
It cuts the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness by 300 million, a fund that helps to end chronic homelessness
It suspends regulations covering over the road truck drivers allowing them to drive longer hours
And it will cut 300 million from Pell Grants for a shortfall to pay companies that collect student loan debt for the federal government.
Those are the values that Republicans with a few Democrats are showing the United States stands for. Ricky Perry said today that there will always be the poor and that in Texas they don't pay attention to that. Wonder if he remembered this Bible verse, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11.
Our country is at a point where are values are survival of the fittest and greed, or those that care about each other and believe in success, but also of fairness.