Aug. 1, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: In his July 28 newsletter, our 6th District congressional representative, Ben Cline, laments America’s “national debt surpassing $36 trillion and interest payments now exceeding what we spend on Medicare and national defense.” Cline is one of the MAGA Republicans who passed Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which will add $3.4 to $4.5 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Hypocrisy is bitter fruit.
Representative Cline’s newsletter also celebrates Trump’s “clear” electoral mandate. The president won his election with less than 50% of the popular vote — no clear mandate that.
Cline brags about “laying the foundation for a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America” by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts have eviscerated our national intelligence apparatus, our diplomatic corps, our justice system, our disaster relief agencies, our medical research, and our national health care, all for the super-rich and not for the citizens of Lexington, Rockbridge and Buena Vista. Nothing here promises a “safer, stronger, and prosperous America.”
Cline never mentions the malicious application of tariffs, which threatens economic havoc and raises consumer prices. Our representative has forgotten that tariffs are supposed to be the constitutional prerogative of the House of Representatives, which means that Cline is shirking his responsibilities as a congressman.
Oh, and Cline never comments on the corruption surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. JAY CLARKE Rockbridge County
