John B. Bloom says federal debt and shutdowns punish workers and future taxpayers

Retired federal engineer and activist John B. Bloom argues in a new book that Washington’s shutdown cycle and $39 trillion debt amount to “taxation without representation” for future generations. He wants Congress to shrink the federal government through retirements, replace the income tax with a national sales tax and phase up the Social Security retirement age.

Why it matters: - Bloom frames the federal debt as a burden shifted to younger Americans who cannot vote on today’s spending decisions. - The book argues shutdowns turn federal workers into bargaining chips and force unpaid labor when budgets collapse. - Bloom’s proposals would reshape taxes, Social Security and the size of the federal workforce if lawmakers adopted them.

What happened: - John B. Bloom released a new book, “For a More Perfect Union,” after two government shutdowns in 2026, including a 76-day shutdown. - The book says thousands of federal workers were unpaid during the shutdown while still required to report to work. - Bloom, a retired federal engineer, says he also worked more than 30 days without pay during Trump’s first term. - Bloom describes that experience as feeling “like a slave to the federal government.”

The details: - The book argues Congress has made federal employees political hostages whenever budget talks fail. - Bloom calls for paying essential workers on time every time and ending shutdowns as a bargaining tool. - The book says the national debt is now nearly $39 trillion. - Bloom cites Thomas Jefferson’s warning that burdening future generations with debt is “morally irresponsible.” - The book walks through the debt history president by president and says both parties share responsibility. - Bloom proposes shrinking federal agencies through attrition instead of layoffs. - Roughly 5% to 7% of the federal workforce leaves each year, which Bloom says would allow agencies to shrink without mass firings. - Bloom says departments he sees as redundant, including the Department of Education, could be phased out through retirements and nonreplacement hiring. - On taxes, Bloom calls for repealing the 16th Amendment and replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax. - Bloom argues a flat sales tax as high as 25% could be less burdensome than current income taxes. - Bloom says a sales tax would also pull the underground economy, including unreported cash income, into the tax base. - The book proposes raising the Social Security retirement age from 62 to 72 over a 10-year phase-in. - The book also calls for ending taxes on Social Security benefits.

Between the lines: - Bloom’s plan is built around gradual shrinkage, not abrupt cuts, which makes it more politically and operationally plausible than immediate layoffs. - The tax proposals go beyond typical conservative priorities by pairing lower government spending with a complete rewrite of the federal tax system. - The Social Security changes suggest Bloom sees entitlement reform as part of the same debt problem, not a separate debate.

What’s next: - Bloom’s proposals now enter the public debate through the book and his activist role in Virginia politics. - Whether lawmakers or conservative groups embrace any part of the agenda will determine if the book becomes a policy blueprint or remains a political argument. - Meghan Synan edited the book and added material; she also authored “Rain Dance.” More of her work is available here.

The bottom line: - “For a More Perfect Union” argues that the fastest way to fix Washington’s debt and shutdown politics is to shrink government steadily, overhaul taxes and stop shifting costs onto future generations.