Economic Malpractice on a Wartime Footing

America First Amnesia

On March 5, 2026 Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District Representative Jeff Crank voted along party lines against the Concurrent Resolution introduced by Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) directing the President to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran pursuant to the War Powers Act of 1973.  Representative Crank and his cohorts effectively ceded Congress’s Article 1, Section 8 Constitutional power to the President.

The President touted an economic renaissance that his steep tariffs would deliver in his May 4, 2025 address to a joint session of Congress. “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening. And it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that.”

When You Find Yourself in a Hole – Stop Digging

Representative Jeff Crank has proven time and again that he too is content with “a little disturbance” for his constituents. One year ago he voted to shirk his Constitutional responsibility to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.” Representative Crank reaffirmed his lack of conviction in September 16, 2025 and again in the failed February 11, 2026 bid to extend the President’s tariffs allegedly pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). A week later the Supreme Court ruled that the IEEPA tariffs supported by the Congressman were illegal.  Despite the ruling against the administration, Trump continues to enforce tariffs that have cost families an additional $1000 in 2025 and are on track to cost another $600 in 2026.

Throwing Gasoline on the Fire

Going into the fourth week of Operation Epic Fury the objectives remain fluid and elusive, but on day one Representative Crank was quick to parrot the party line. To his credit he did not inflate the 603 US combat fatalities inflicted by Iranian surrogates during eight years of Operation Iraqi Freedom, but he conveniently omitted the 188,015  Iranians killed over a different eight-year span when Saddam’s Iraq was our regional military surrogate of choice.  The point of this is not to dwell on who is ahead in the four-decade race to harvest an-eye-for-an-eye, but to consider the costs that continue to be casually passed on to the American taxpayer.  

Since the President’s February 28 “excursion” in the Persian Gulf, the price of regular gas at the Murphy USA on Austin Bluffs is up $1.24 per gallon or 31.4%, which tracks within a half percent of the average which is hitting the Rocky Mountain region particularly hard.  Based on Colorado consumption rates, a licensed driver in the front range is paying an average $54 more per month for gasoline since the start of the conflict.  Adding insult to injury, the Whitehouse’s panicked solution to the crisis it created was to provide $14 billion in sanctions relief to the regime that is currently holding a fifth of the world’s petroleum supply hostage while emptying the strategic reserves it didn’t bother to replace back when the POTUS was telling the American people the price of gas was $1.99 a gallon.

The Washington Post reported on March 27 that the US Navy had burned through more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles at $3.6 million per copy with the opening attacks on Iran. This amounts to over a quarter of the US global inventory, and at maximum production capacity replacement of these missiles would require almost two years.  After Secretary Hegseth smugly indicated “it takes money to kill bad guys,” the Pentagon is requesting a $200 billion supplement.   While some of Colorado’s GOP representatives have indicated they will not support such a measure, Crank appears to be testing the winds of public opinion before commenting publicly on the matter.

What Exactly Are the “America First” Priorities?

As Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times notes in “The $1.3-Million-a-Minute War,” the Pentagon’s preliminary request would cost each American taxpaying family another $1,400.  Among a list of alternative investments, he indicates for example that the cost of three days of war could eliminate severe wasting, the most insidious form of malnutrition, saving up to 1.5 million children per year.  Bringing this comparison a little closer his mile-high to home, extending the SNAP benefits Representative Crank voted to cut to CD5 families making less than $53K per year could have been paid for by 15 minutes of the war.  

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), Representative Crank has yet to opine on why the Pentagon frivolously spent a record $93.4 billion in September 2025 fiscal year-end dollars, including on luxury items such as $2 million on king crab legs, $6.7 million on lobster tails, $15.1 million on ribeye steak, and a $98,329 Steinway piano for the Air Force Chief of Staff’s home.

Beauty is Only Skin Deep

On May 22, 2025, Representative Crank’s office announced he and the House Republicans had passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” claiming it “will unleash economic growth, deliver permanent Trump Tax Cuts, restore fiscal sanity, fund the largest immigration enforcement effort in history, and more.”  Once we peel away Representative Crank’s rhetorical veneer it is not so pretty.  The only promises he effectively delivered were an upward redistribution of income unprecedented in American history and the militarization of our streets.  To the direct detriment of Coloradans, the OBBB cut $64,838,079.25 (equating to 49 minutes of war) in funding to economic security programs that had directly benefited CD5 constituents.  Apparently the congressman’s idea of “restoring fiscal sanity” is passing along another $3.3 trillion dollars to our children and grandchildren with the national debt.  Almost 70% of the OBBB’s deficit costs are used to provide $2.3 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 10% of Americans, and the those making over $863,400 a year (top 1% of earners) will receive an average tax cut of around $70,000, or 21% of the OBBB’s total tax cut benefits.

On January 8 of this year Representative Crank proudly announced he had voted against extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.  Last fall Connect for Health Colorado estimated that constituents of El Paso County who purchase their healthcare coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace would see a 92% increase in premiums for 2026, which amounts on average to an extra out of pocket cost $1,300 each year.

These myopic policies championed by the congressman have created a perfect storm of unforced economic errors.  The UCCS economic forum of 2025’s macroeconomic forecast assessed a number of aggravating issues facing front range constituents.  The OBBB’s cuts to Medicaid and the expired ACA subsidies have increased healthcare costs or eliminated coverage altogether for many.  The OBBBs cuts to Colorado’s green energy industry impact both jobs and the cost of electricity.  Reduced immigration has contributed to US GDP growth slowing in 2025 to 1.2%, down from 2.8% in 2024.  The President’s 608% increase in the average tariff rate continues to aggravate inflation and consumer costs moving forward.  The OBBB’s deficit spending impacts long-term interest rates as we are asked to take on another $200 billion in debt for a war that 6 in 10 Americans oppose according to Fox News.

Narcissists Lackeys and Cravens Oh My

As one of the least productive representatives in the 119^th Congress, Jeff Crank is first and foremost in Washington to represent and attend to the emotional whims of President Trump. He has maintained a perfect record of voting with the Republican party majority.  He has never challenged President Trump’s proclamation that he is moving 1,700 US Space Command jobs to Alabama to politically punish Colorado for its mail in voting.  While Crank joined his fellow Colorado congressional delegates in writing a stern letter of disappointment for the move on fiscal and national security grounds, he has made no meaningful attempt to leverage his position on the HASC’s Sub-Committee for Strategic Forces (directly responsible for military space capabilities) or the razor thin (three vote) GOP margin in the House to the benefit of Coloradans.  By working in solidarity with their fellow Colorado GOP representatives, they could effectively exercise veto control over the House agenda to amend or block any legislation detrimental to their constituents’ interests. But expecting that a politician or few might place the public interest above party loyalty is obviously a bridge too far.

For those who’ve been keeping tally of the costs of poor decision or indecision are on track in 2026 to hit a Colorado family of three to the tune of $4,500, wiping out any of the average estimated $611 in tax refunds from OBBB that Representative Crank has been promoting.  This is of course before we start factoring in the increased cost of gas, groceries, and housing, the anemic jobs outlook, and another $200 billion in principal and interest debt these families’ descendants are inheriting in order to maintain the lavish lifestyles of Trump and his cronies.

As of this writing the day after the “No Kings 3” march, the 31^st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is on station in the Persian Gulf region, and the 11^th MEU is underway.  The 1^st Brigade of the 82^nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force is standing by for rapid aerial deployment to the region.  The days ahead will tell if we are headed towards a protracted military escalation or an inconclusive offramp.

Policy decisions on our national and economic security are serious business, and in these critical times we can ill afford to trust our fate to unserious people. Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District constituents deserve better.  Jeff Crank’s abilities are probably better suited to gardening than representing us in Washington.