I was admittedly frustrated for a bit wondering why the GOP is not addressing economic issues. Even with their idea to cut off federal funding for abortions, they named it the Protect Life Act (See correction) and preached morality. This gave Progressives the opportunity to paint the GOP as puritans again and preaching values. This should have stayed an economic matter. That is a winning argument the Republicans can have anytime. Even Pro-Choice people don’t want to pay for abortions. I was worried the GOP was once again going to start their Bush era family values stuff because they were not serious in addressing our economic issues.

Well to my surprise they are doing something that is meaningful. The Republicans are proposing to prevent federal bailout money to states for paying for pensions. Many of these pensions are ridiculous, especially ate a time when the average American has a non guaranteed 401K. This is not to disparage all States pension funds. Some states are responsible and have no problems. States like New York and California are beholden to public unions and have enabled the fiscal mess they’re in.

Republicans in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday will introduce legislation to get tough on public pensions as worries grow that chronic underfunding will drive states, cities and counties to demand help from the federal government and drag it into a financial mess.

Republican Representatives Paul Ryan, Darrell Issa and Devin Nunes, along with Senators Richard Burr and John Thune, plan to unveil a bill for “enhanced transparency for state and local pensions,” and prohibit the federal government “on any future public pension bailouts.”

[…]

Of the longer-term problems in state and local governments’ budgets, none currently looms as large as underfunded pensions for public-sector employees. Estimates for state pension underfunding range from $700 billion to $3 trillion because of disparities in calculating future returns on investments