The Fake Republicans who Claim to care about the Economy, Spending, Debt and Deficit - not to mention protecting the US Dollar as the World Currency - have surrendered to the Democrats AGAIN and will pass a Continuing Resolution that NO AMERICAN Wants!
by Tracy Clark, Business Times.com, September 24, 2024
As a government shutdown deadline approaches, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) is seeking Democratic support to pass a three-month funding bill, navigating around opposition from conservative members within his own party.
House Republicans plan to bring the short-term spending measure to a floor vote under a procedure known as suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage. This strategy necessitates significant Democratic backing, highlighting internal GOP divisions over federal spending and legislative tactics.
"This agreement could have very easily been reached weeks ago, but Speaker Johnson and House Republicans chose to listen to Donald Trump's partisan demands instead of working with us from the start," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Monday.
The move to bypass the House Rules Committee came after conservative members, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), indicated they would not support the measure. The committee had been set to approve the bill for a floor vote but canceled the session due to the lack of support.
"I would encourage people not to vote for this," Mr. Massie said. "Why do we want to set up a shutdown crisis the week before Christmas? We shouldn't. We should fund the whole thing for a year."
House conservatives have long pushed for passing the twelve individual appropriations bills that fund the government, arguing that short-term continuing resolutions lead to massive omnibus spending bills at year's end. They contend that the current strategy sets up another spending battle during the holiday season.
"Republicans need Democrats in order to keep the government open," noted Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.), the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the impending vote.
Unveiled by Mr. Johnson on Sunday, the new plan proposes funding the government at current levels through December 20, effectively postponing the spending debate until after the November elections. In a letter to his colleagues, Mr. Johnson described the three-month continuing resolution as "the only option that remains."
"Our legislation will be a very narrow, bare-bones continuing resolution including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary," he wrote. "It prevents the Senate from jamming us with a bill loaded with billions in new spending and unrelated provisions." (Editors Note: The CR does not CUT any Spending at all!)
READ: ANNUAL Federal budget deficit expected to nearly double to around $2 trillion
Significantly, the bill excludes the Secure America's Vote Everywhere (SAVE) Act, which would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections-a measure Democrats opposed. This exclusion comes despite former President Donald Trump's calls for a government shutdown if the voting measure was not passed.
Mr. Johnson indicated that Mr. Trump may have softened his stance, stating that the former president "understands the situation that we're in."
The bill includes approximately $230 million in additional funding for the Secret Service, as well as allocations for the upcoming presidential inauguration and transition. While continuing resolutions typically maintain existing funding levels, these additions address specific forthcoming needs.
House Democratic leadership appears poised to support the bill. In a whip notice sent to House Democrats, Minority Whip Katherine Clark's (D., Mass.) office remarked that the bill "does not include any Republican poison pills."
While the bill lacks additional funding that Democrats desire for disaster aid and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ms. Clark's office acknowledged that these issues could be addressed in December's appropriations negotiations.
"The party universally opposes shutting down the government and has been virtually unanimous in demanding a 'clean' three-month bill," a Democratic leadership aide said.
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The procedural move to suspend the rules means that most Democrats and nearly half of Republicans would need to vote in favor for the bill to pass. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) is gathering feedback from his caucus, with a Tuesday meeting expected to gauge support.
One senior House Democrat indicated that party leaders "want Republicans to play their hand first before saving them," reflecting a strategic approach often employed by Mr. Jeffries.
"While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances," Mr. Johnson wrote to his colleagues. "As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice."
Mr. Schumer expressed optimism that Congress could pass the legislation this week, stating, "I am hopeful that we can come together to keep the government open and working for the American people."
