By L Williams
In her recent opinion piece, that appeared in the SEMissourian, Star Parker argues that the House Freedom Caucus deserves praise for its hardline stance against federal spending and debt. She positions them as the principled few, standing against a tide of fiscal recklessness. But beneath the rhetoric of “personal responsibility” and “patriotism,” there’s a far more troubling reality: the Freedom Caucus isn’t rescuing the nation from debt — it’s holding the American people hostage to ideology, gutting essential programs, and undermining the very opportunities they claim to champion.
Let’s start with the core of Parker’s argument — that the Freedom Caucus should be celebrated for drawing attention to the national debt. Certainly, fiscal responsibility is important. But what Parker fails to acknowledge is how the Freedom Caucus approaches this concern: not by responsibly balancing priorities, but by insisting on indiscriminate cuts to critical social programs while defending tax policies that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
Slashing Support, Not Solving Problems
Take Medicaid, for instance. Parker praises proposed Medicaid cuts that would slow its growth to 3% annually but ignores what this means in human terms. Millions of Americans — disproportionately children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working-class families — rely on Medicaid for their health care. Reducing its growth isn’t simply a matter of “efficiency,” especially when those reductions come in the form of stricter eligibility, bureaucratic red tape, and work requirements that create more barriers than solutions. The Freedom Caucus is not refining Medicaid; it’s undermining access to it.
Parker argues that these moves will increase opportunity. But in reality, health care is a precondition for opportunity. You can’t hold a job, go to school, or build a future if you can’t afford to see a doctor or fill a prescription. Taking away access to care doesn’t promote dignity — it makes survival harder.
Misplaced Blame for Slow Growth
Parker also blames slow economic growth on welfare spending. But the reality is more complicated. The stagnation she laments has much more to do with wage stagnation, automation, tax breaks for the wealthy that don’t trickle down, and decades of disinvestment in infrastructure, education, and workforce development. Welfare programs didn’t slow the economy — they softened the blow for millions of Americans who were failed by a changing labor market and a political system that prioritized Wall Street over working families.
If we’re truly concerned with jumpstarting economic growth and fostering opportunity, we should be investing in health care, education, child care, and job training — not gutting them. These investments aren’t handouts. They’re the tools that help people climb the ladder.
Hypocrisy on Debt and Deficits
The Freedom Caucus presents itself as the champion of debt reduction, but where was this urgency when it came to passing massive tax cuts in 2017 that added nearly $2 trillion to the deficit — with most of the benefits going to the top 1%? Where is their concern when it comes to bloated defense spending or corporate subsidies?
The truth is, this isn’t about debt. It’s about priorities. And the Freedom Caucus has made it clear that their priority is not helping the most vulnerable but enforcing a rigid ideology that punishes the poor and protects the powerful.
False Choices, Real Consequences
Star Parker presents voters with a false dichotomy: accept austerity or embrace dependence. But the reality of American life is not so black and white. Most Americans believe in both personal responsibility and the role of government in leveling the playing field. We can be fiscally responsible and morally responsible. We can balance the budget and care for one another.
The Freedom Caucus, in its crusade to shrink government at all costs, has abandoned this balance. It’s not the swamp they’re draining — it’s the lifelines that millions of Americans depend on.
We need a conversation about spending and sustainability, yes. But we also need honesty, compassion, and vision. What we don’t need is a political stunt masquerading as fiscal policy. The American people deserve better than ultimatums and obstruction.
Final Thought
A government that invests in its people — their health, their education, their future — is not a burden. It’s a reflection of our highest values. The Freedom Caucus hasn’t saved us from a crisis. They’ve manufactured one — and now want to be praised for tightening the noose.
Let’s not be fooled. Responsible leadership doesn’t mean walking away from those in need. It means building a country where opportunity isn’t a slogan — it’s a promise we keep.
