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The latest concessions package could be wonderful for this Republic. While a great deal of attention has been focused upon the multiple votes, the squabbling, name-calling, and vote switcheroos, not as much attention has been on WHAT is any concessions package McCarthy has offered.
These three really caught my attention.
A common complaint among hard-core conservatives has been that federal spending has surged to unsustainable levels. During the Speaker fight, they have asked Mr McCarthy to commit to tangible fiscal restraints, such as cutting spending to 2022 levels, requiring that any increase in the amount of debt the government issues be tied to corresponding budget cuts, and allowing individual lines of spending to be removed from larger legislation through votes on the House floor.
Cost: With majority control of the House, Republicans will be able to pass any budget levels they agree on. Mr McCarthy is committing himself to siding with budget hawks in these intra-party debates – which has already angered some conservatives who fear massive cuts to defence spending. Republicans in the House will eventually have to negotiate with Democrats in the Senate to pass spending legislation, however. Mr McCarthy’s commitments here could give him less room to work out the kind of compromises necessary to avoid a government shutdown later in the year.
We are in the midst of an inflation/recession and the Biden Administration is spending money, OUR money, hand over fist. We haven’t had a budget in years and little to no oversight as to where any of it goes nor how it’s being spent.
You know what? I’m VERY ok with every agency getting their spending under control, and their agency budgets getting cut in half! Of course, most Republicans are defense hawks, so some of them are clutching pearls over this.
The deal doesn’t necessarily include Pentagon cuts, but any arrangement that does won’t sit well with hawks on the Armed Services and Appropriations panels who’ve touted securing billions of dollars more than Biden sought for defense, even while Democrats controlled all of Washington.
“Seems like we could be backing ourselves into sequestration,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), a military veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told McCarthy and allies on a private conference call to McCarthy earlier Friday, according to three Republicans on the call. Those automatic cuts were a hallmark of the desperation budget deal from a decade ago.
As our long-time readers know, I’m a huge supporter of our military. My dad served, my husband served 20 years, and multiple family members have served. Yes, funding our defense is absolutely necessary for the security of this nation. That said, what our DOD should NOT be funding is woke lectures, gender transition crap, and shoving service men and women out the door if they refuse the still not approved vaccine. The military is facing an extremely significant recruiting crisis due in large part to these policies that have NOTHING to do with military readiness.
One Speaker Vote:
Just one person to spark a vote to get a Speaker removed from his/her chair? Honestly, there are times when that possibly would’ve been a benefit! Paging Nancy Pelosi. So is this a good idea? When you have a liberal media outlet classifying this as anarchy…
Earlier, McCarthy had proposed that any five Republicans could call for a vote to boot the speaker at any time. Last night, he went down to one — giving any random House Republican veto power like Sen. Joe Manchin had in the Senate for the past two years.
If anyone thinks someone in the House would be that petty… Ok. That could happen given human nature, but does anyone really believe that it would be a never-ending cycle of votes to oust House Speakers because of action/inaction on their pet issue? Some people believe it could be after watching the shenanigans over the last few days.
You got played by a Chinese spy. https://t.co/t6OLSws9cX
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 6, 2023
Domestic terrorism?? That’s jumping a shark and then some!
McCarthy and the Trolling Twenty may disagree on procedural stuff, but on the domestic terrorism-friendly items, they are in fierce agreement. The message sent to right wing radicals: The GOP supports you if you commit violence. pic.twitter.com/HCx7nOnZnT
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) January 6, 2023
Legislation:
Students of US civics – and fans of the old children’s TV series Schoolhouse Rock! – may recall learning about how bills work their way through the House of Representatives. They’re introduced by a legislator, assigned to a committee for review and revision, brought to the floor of Congress and further amended, then given an up-or-down vote.
And that’s what one of the proposals is in McCarthy’s concessions package. You know what? I’m VERY ok with that. We had Obamacare shoved down our throats with Nancy gleefully telling us it needed to be passed so we’d know what was in it. People lost their doctors, some multiple times. Insurance costs have gone up as have medicines on multiple levels.
The trillion dollar climate change package that was just signed into law (that NO ONE had a chance to read) was touted as the Inflation Reduction Act. As we are continually finding out, there’s nothing in itthat reduces inflation nor stops runaway spending. Instead it’s all Green New Deal solar and wind crap that will bankrupt us all.
I’m absolutely FOR legislation being crafted in the open, discussed vociferously on the House floor, and known BY the American people so WE can weigh in before the legislation is passed.
Surrendered? Dangerous? Only for the Democrats who’ll lose their blank check status and those Republicans who don’t heed same warning.
McCarthy just agreed to a deal with far right insurrectionists that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2023
Hard to overstate how dangerous this is.
So yes, the concessions on the table could be a very good thing for the House of Representatives and especially this Republic.
Feature Photo Credit: Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), cropped, official photo, public domain
Cameron says: that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare.
Explain how any of that is part of the “global” economy, brotherfucker. And honestly, I’m fine with extreme cuts until you all learn to live within your means.
Scott says: Well said sir! (and great post Nina). Given the fools and criminals that are opposed to these things, They must be good for our republic.
GWB says: I’m fine with “extreme cuts”, period.
I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.
Carol Marks says: Did McCarthy bring this forth or is this what the 20 holdouts were working for? Honest question.
Cameron says: I think (legal disclaimer) that they told him flat out until he made the concessions, he wasn’t getting the votes.
GWB says: conservatives who fear massive cuts to defence [sic] spending
And this is one of the things that has hampered conservatives for at least 40 years: the idea that spending lots of money on defense means you have a good defense. It was a little understandable during the Cold War, but it’s been a real issue for decades. Especially because of 1) fights for slices of the pie in Congress and 2) every time cuts are made, they are intentionally taken in a way to hurt our defense. But there are a lot of cuts that could be made (if they weren’t turned to purely partisan purposes). And this is one reason to avoid the omnibus bills: pass the defense spending first, then negotiate the rest of the budgets.
necessary to avoid a government shutdown later in the year
If they really wanted to govern the country, and not merely line their pockets while advancing the progressive globalist utopia, they could use that threat very effectively. “Fine, here’s a bill on funding the Congress and the Senate. That doesn’t get brought to the floor until you pass our reduced budgets for everything else. Oh, and funding the White House happens only AFTER those other bills are signed.” Again, it’s the stupid omnibus bill crap that is hindering the proper operation of our government.
That said, what our DOD should NOT be funding is
Don’t even get me started on how much the defense establishment wastes on fancy new toys and contracts. But the progressive religion? Pfft, that’s a minor part of the funding issue. (Doesn’t mean you can’t start there, though.)
Last night, he went down to one
OK, that one was probably a disaster waiting to happen. Five should have been adequate, or maybe three. But one? Oy vey.
I’m absolutely FOR legislation being crafted in the open, discussed vociferously on the House floor, and known BY the American people so WE can weigh in before the legislation is passed.
Amen, sister!
I advocate for an amendment that requires …
1) All legislation is a single constitutionally authorized activity, for a single purpose to be stated in the title of the bill.
2) Each agency is required to be funded in its own appropriations bill. (Defining this will be hard, but necessary.)
3) If the gov’t is shut down, certain agencies’ funding will partially or wholly continue (DoD, FAA, etc.), to be drawn from the appropriations of Congress and the White House.
4) Each bill is required to be allotted 1 day per 5 pages (between 10 and 12 point font, 3/4 inch margins, letter-size paper) for reading by members, beginning the day after it is officially published and any vote on it. If it is published to a committee for consideration, that committee must be allotted that time, and it must again be allotted to the entire House or Senate once it passes successfully out of committee. The days allotted may only count normal work days as defined by the house of Congress. The bill must be available for public consumption during this time period, as well.
4a) Fetterman is allotted 2 days per 5 pages.
far right insurrectionists
That’s who built this country, brofo! Suck it!
hold the entire US and global economy hostage
Hmmmm, if cutting gov’t spending holds the national and world economies hostage, wouldn’t you say we’re doing “free markets” wrong, somewhere?
cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare
NONE of which are constitutionally authorized. So, who’s the “insurrectionist”, again?
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