Congress has passed a budget calling for increasing federal spending and adding $1.7 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years. Most so-called "fiscal conservatives" voted for this big-spending budget because it allows Congress to repeal some parts of "Obamacare" via "reconciliation." As important as it is to repeal "Obamacare," it does not justify increasing spending and debt.

It is disappointing, but not surprising, that the "Obamacare" repeal would be used to justify increasing spending. Despite sequestration's minor (and largely phony) spending cuts, federal spending has increased every year since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. Some will attribute this to the fact that the Republican House had to negotiate with a big-spending Democratic president -- even though federal spending actually increased by a greater percentage the last time Republicans controlled the White House and Congress than it did under President Obama.

The history of massive spending increases under unified Republican control of government is likely to repeat itself. During the presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump came out against reducing spending on "entitlements." He also called for a variety of spending increases, including spending one trillion dollars on infrastructure.