Ask HN: Should tariff war revenue be spent: Farmers, Kids, Fund the Shutdown

8 pointsposted a month ago
by stopbulying

Item id: 45510831

15 Comments

al_borland

a month ago

What happened to DOGE and the goal of paying down the debt?

It seems if the goal for to decrease spending, we shouldn’t need to raise the debt limit. And revenue from tariff’s should be used to accelerate paying down the debt.

I know everyone seems to not care about that anymore and moved on, but I haven’t.

Servicing the debt is the biggest expense in the budget. If we don’t get it under control it will be the whole budget. If we can eliminate that debt, then we’ll have all kinds of money for other things.

FranzFerdiNaN

a month ago

Why do you think the GOP or DOGE cares about the budget or the debt?

Tadpole9181

a month ago

The budget has already been signed, we know how it'll be spent: tax breaks for the wealthiest and funding ICE similarly to the marines ($25 billion a year).

downrightmike

a month ago

I'd rather have the marines, they are at least trained.

user

a month ago

[deleted]

user

a month ago

[deleted]

AnimalMuppet

a month ago

If they've exceeded revenue by $4T since May, $190B is going to get them less than a week.

$1T deficit per month is not sustainable.

duxup

a month ago

Isn't the tariff revenue already "spent"?

US still is spending more than it brings in right?

stopbulying

a month ago

    -$4T/4mo = -$1T/mo

    -4,000,000,000,000
  + +0,190,000,000,000
  --------------------
    -3,710,000,000,000
CNN recommended:

"White House says it will use tariff revenue to fund federal food aid for mothers and young children" https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/07/politics/tariff-revenue-feder...

"Trump considers massive bailout of at least $10 billion for American farmers hurt by his trade war" https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/05/business/farmer-bailout-trump...

"Trump’s tariff revenue could help keep the government open. Why isn’t that happening?" https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/economy/tariff-revenue-govern...

user

a month ago

[deleted]

user

a month ago

[deleted]

scarface_74

a month ago

[flagged]

cowboylowrez

a month ago

This is Trumps time. I'm pretty sure he will have some say on who suffers the consequences of his electoral win.

scarface_74

a month ago

He already does. He is cutting funding for blue state initiatives that were already allocated. Of course Congress should have the power of the purse. But the Republican Congress is spineless as is the Supreme Court.

Before now, Republican representatives would never let even a Republican President usurp their power.