Congress must pass a comprehensive funding bill by the end of next week to avoid a repeat of last year’s government shutdown. Such a must-pass bill at the end of the year often becomes a “Christmas tree” decorated with various policy riders and pet projects for members of both parties in Congress. But under this year’s tree, a fiscally irresponsible Santa Claus Congress might leave wealthy Americans three gifts that together could cost up to $1 trillion over the next ten years – all put on the nation’s credit card for young Americans to pay off for generations to come.
