Conservatives thrust the House back into chaos on Wednesday, grinding business to a halt in protest of the spending deal Speaker Mike Johnson struck with Democrats to avert a government shutdown and leaving the funding package in limbo.
A dozen hard-line Republicans defected from the party line to tank a routine procedural measure, blocking consideration of a pair of G.O.P. bills in what amounted to a warning shot by members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus that they would not stand for the agreement. As the measure failed, members of the group could be seen in animated discussion with Mr. Johnson and his deputies on the House floor.
The Republican revolt underscored Mr. Johnson’s predicament in trying to steer the spending deal through the closely divided House, where it has enraged a sizable bloc of Republicans, while keeping his grip on his job. The upheaval came as it was becoming clear that Congress would most likely have to resort to yet another short-term spending patch — something Mr. Johnson had previously ruled out — to buy time to push a bipartisan deal to fund the government.
HAHAHAH. fucking regressives.
I hope the deal passes, and then Johnson gets shit-canned by his own people.
Sounds like we have 3 parties under the guise of 2. The right can splinter, this is good.
I’m waiting for all of the independent progressives to coalesce into their own party. When that happens things can get…. Interesting.
I gave you an upvote because I want to believe, but I have serious doubts. With the changing landscape of the demographics in this country we have been consistently racing the clock on whether a real progressive coalition can form before the psychopathic underbelly of crypto-fascist evangelicals can undermine the institutions of government enough to enforce a generation of minority rule through structural violence.
It is the perfect storm right now where we are ripe for massive progressive change, but I don’t see anything resembling an organized force to accomplish that. While we all quibble over policy and minor ethical differences, the modern right is a unified force marching towards authoritarianism. I want to believe, I really do, but I would also be lying if I said I wasn’t also terrified.
I’d love to see a party of real progressives, instead of constantly being let down by democrats.
Maybe we’ll actually end up with rank-choice voting once conservatives realize they’re split down the middle and will never win another election again (we can hope).
Hakeeeeeeem Jjjjjjjjeeeeffffries!
Joking aside, my gut says this would be a good time for the Democrats to extract some concessions from Johnson in exchange for his job–something they didn’t really want to do for McCarthy because the calculus was different. I’m not sure that the circus is as good for them this time around (in part because “independents” might well decide that what the nonfunctioning government needs is a stronger GOP majority and a Cheeto). There ought to be enough ordinary-right Republican Reps to cobble together a majority without asking vulnerable Dems to vote to keep him.
If Johnson’s to stay, the Speakership in general should just be weaker with a negotiated organizing resolution that gives Jeffries and the (barely) minority party more control–something not unlike what 50-50 Senates have done. I appreciate, however, that that’s a tough sell even to the most center-leaning GOP. They might rather burn the place down, and I really wish that was more metaphorical. [And honestly, the MAGAs know all this, which is why the threats to actually remove him are probably all smoke. If he calls their bluff, there’s only so many times they get to play the vacation card before their leverage evaporates in a coalition government.]
In any event, the reality is that a shutdown is bad for everyone, and by current polling, Trump can afford it more than Biden can. Unless something changes, the House is going to do nothing but make noise for the next 11 months, and the best way to curtail that is to put a lid on stunt’s like Mace’s this morning by getting the House back to regular business and order. It needs to not be in the news. For the rabid GOP base, a fractured GOP majority fighting amongst itself over the Speakership, screaming expletives and fist-fighting on the chamber floor? still better than a GOP that negotiates with the enemy. That leads me to think that the smart move is to get them to do just that: Johnson’s already given up on holding the line, so in for a penny. It’s worth keeping the Christofascist in the big chair if it means the bullshit impeachment hearings disappear because, say, for example, Jordan lost his committee assignments.
Is this a pipe dream? Sure. But I’m no professional strategist. The point is, this seems like an opportunity for the Democrats to get more out of the House than just setting some more records in Speaker Replacement Shenanigans III. Don’t just let them eat each other. Eat them yourselves, you cowards.
The problem for Johnson is that if he works with Democrats he will get primaried from the right next time he is up for reelection.
Meanwhile Mike McCarthy laughing his ass off at home in his PJs
This guy doesn’t even have any savings or investments. How is he supposed to organize the spendings of an entire country?
He lied on his mandatory disclosures as a member of congress and said he had zero checking accounts, zero savings accounts, and zero investments between him and his wife.
Literally all he has to do is work with democrats to end all of this. Just actually work with them on something and the freedom caucus goes away.
Here’s why gerrymandering is so bad. Say you live in a district that is 90% Red. The only people who are interested in the primaries are the true diehard MAGoos. They don’t want to hear the words ‘compromise’ or ‘common sense.’ The most extreme candidate is the one who will win. So there’s no upside for co-operating with the Dems.
The upside is that you served your one term with dignity and got something done.
The fact that everyone thinks political action should be driven by reelection prospects and seems perfectly fine with the ill motivation and contempt for the people that goes with is a major fucking problem.
I feel like I could see that working for local positions, but you want your federal representatives to have experience governing, right? Like, work their way up, learning as they go? That means this isn’t a fun hobby for them, it’s a job. Are you telling these folks to spend years/decades building up their political career just to kamikaze it all for a single two year term (6 Senate unless they’re recalled)? And if so, where should a person flame-out? Should they go down swinging on city council, or wait until they’re a state senator, or wait until they’re in US Congress etc.?
Thats what Kevin McCarthy did and he got ousted. Much as it would solve things to actually be the House leader and not just the leader of two minority factions that don’t like each other, the House was set up such that the majority party runs things alone.
This would benefit only the American people and neither party cares about them.
Donald Trump’s lawyers are saying that he would be justified in assassinating Americans. The GOP supports him.
Joe Biden is pardoning people who were arrested for smoking pot.
Both sides are not the same.
This is not about supporting one party or another. This is about the two parties working together and some politicians helping Americans over their careers. Working with Democrats will be seen as treason by republican base and helping Republicans avoid chaos won’t move any voters to Democrats. When shut-down happens they can just blame one another which is the best scenario for both parties.
