Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada has co-sponsored a bill to revive the emergency unemployment insurance program. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pleased as punch that Heller is breaking with the “tea party folks” on the issue.

What’s Heller justification for taking the big government side and jacking up welfare spending? He says: “Providing a safety net for those in need is one of the most important functions of the federal government. As Nevada’s unemployment rate continues to top the charts nationwide, many families and individuals back home do not know how they are going to meet their basic needs.”

Perhaps Heller should spend more time with the “tea party folks.” They would direct him to this document to see whether handouts are indeed “one of the most important functions of the federal government.” And they would explain to him the concept of federalism: If Nevadans want larger UI benefits, their own legislature could provide them without having to loot the national treasury.

Yet Heller styles himself as a staunch fiscal conservative—a tea partier—so he should know this. From Heller’s biography on his Senate website:

Since coming to Congress, Heller has fought for smaller government, the elimination of wasteful spending, and a balanced budget. He has been at the forefront of the fight for fiscal responsibility in Washington, voted against hundreds of billions in tax increases, and fought the expansion of government and out-of-control spending. Heller is also the only member of the Nevada delegation to vote against the Wall Street bailout. In addition, Heller has fought for fiscal policies that promote economic recovery and believes controlling government spending will create an environment where businesses can flourish and foster long-term economic growth.

Not only that, but Heller thinks that “big government is not the answer to fixing our economy. Congress needs to control wasteful spending and shrink the size of government… Capitalism is the foundation of America’s prosperity. We should embrace these principles, not run from them.”

Furthermore, Heller argues that “this government has been on a massive spending spree for too long, and it is time for this reckless behavior to end. As an opponent of the stimulus and the only member of the Nevada delegation to vote against the bailout, I believe it is critical to rein in spending, address the yearly deficits, and get government debt under control.”

Those are all laudable goals. I couldn’t have said it better myself. But it is just empty rhetoric if one also goes around supporting borrow-and-spend welfare legislation.