A leading conservative just exposed the GOP's ludicrous hypocrisy on government spending

Whenever progressives want the government to spend money on programs — universal health care, parental leave — Republicans consistently denounce the plans as too costly. But when Republicans want to spend money on ridiculous and unnecessary ideas like massive tax cuts for businesses or a "space force," somehow the expense is no longer an issue.

And under President Donald Trump, Republicans have completely abandoned the pretense that they are concerned about increasing government debt — despite using the issue to hamper President Barack Obama's efforts to recover from the 2008 financial crisis.

In a new op-ed on Friday, conservative writer Jennifer Rubin with the Washington Post denounced the party's utter hypocrisy on government spending.

"Let’s remember Republicans promised — swore up and down — that the cuts would pay for themselves," she wrote. "This was categorically false, obviously so at the time. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and others who made this ludicrous assertion should be held accountable — and voted out of office."

She notes that a new Congressional Budget Office report shows that under GOP policies, "the debt is mushrooming."

And there's no surprise about why: "Congress shrunk revenue while spending is expanding."

And yet, despite these obvious facts, the Trump administration is considering even more tax cuts for the people who need them the least.

"There is an argument to be had as to what the ideal level of taxes should be, balancing the needs of a dynamic society with the genuine need for public expenditures," Rubin wrote. "But one thing is clear: The 2017 tax cuts were fiscally disastrous and should not be repeated."