Joe Biden is a complete nonentity in the waning days of his administration. Donald Trump is being deferred to as if he was already president, in name if not in deed.

But the truth is that this is the end of the Biden administration, and the Congress is still split between a narrow majority of Republicans in the House, and a narrow majority of Democrats in the Senate. Which means that the Democrats have more power right now than they will after Inauguration Day. That means, unfortunately, that the Republicans in the House have to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that Democrats in the Senate will vote for.

However, that DOESN’T mean that bullshit like this should be in the CR.

Why does this CR redefine: murderers, rapists, child rapists, kidnappers, terrorists, cartel members, drug dealers, sex traffickers, drug traffickers, human traffickers, domestic abusers, child pornographers, arsonists, serial killers, and cannibals among other things… as… pic.twitter.com/ypRpmNQkZ6

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

There have been some excellent finds on X that have highlighted the insanity that has been stuffed into this CR, but the bottom line is that this version is worse than a joke. Amplified by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and the DOGE X account, the people online started going through the 1500 page bill. And they did not like what they found. Vivek had the right of it when he said that a clean CR is what has to happen right now.

This is what a clean CR looks like. I still don’t love it because it permits the historical spending excesses to continue, but at bare minimum, we shouldn’t be stacking even more waste on top.

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 18, 2024

Look, we can all appreciate that Speaker Johnson feels stuck. The current deadline is Friday, he has to work with a Democrat-controlled Senate, and Joe Biden is unfortunately still the president. However, the election was a signal. The tide has turned. A pork-stuffed CR to give Democrats a ton of goodies – including a pay raise for Congress and an exemption from using Obamacare! – should not even be an option. Fortunately, it seems Johnson is listening.

The Louisiana Republican is discussing dropping $100 billion in disaster aid plus other attachments and instead passing a “clean CR” — then dealing with the other issues in the new year, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the conversations. In addition to disaster aid, that would mean dropping $30 billion for farmers, and a one-year extension of the farm bill, among other items, at least for now.

Johnson has not made a final decision. But if he shifts strategies it would be a boon for his right flank, which has railed publicly against the current spending bill and revived a dormant threat to Johnson’s speakership. Many of those conservatives don’t typically support stopgap spending bills — most of the additions to the bill were designed to appease other Republicans, as well as Democrats.

Some Republicans believe Musk’s criticisms encouraged even more House GOP members to oppose the spending plan that Johnson and his leadership rolled out Tuesday night. Musk, who has been charged with cutting government spending, wrote on X that the spending bill “should not pass” and that any lawmaker who votes for it “deserves to be voted out in 2 years.”

“I think it’s having an effect on some people,” said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) asked if Musk’s tweets were moving votes within the Capitol. “I think it probably is.”

More like DOGE is having an effect. The people want government efficiency, and they want it NOW. Vivek Ramaswamy was correct when he said this was DOGE’s first test. Technically, they don’t have any authority now, and won’t have anything but an advisory capacity after Trump is in office, but the effect is undeniable. Even Republicans in the Senate are backing DOGE.

And now Donald Trump himself has weighed in. He might not be in the Oval Office yet, but his message is clear to Republicans – I’m watching you.

It’s a new era in Washington DC pic.twitter.com/d2niBSDuDO

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 18, 2024

The once and future president is making his position clear. He wants this deal done, and he means now, without it hanging over his new administration’s head. The last thing Donald Trump wants is to take office and immediately wade into a budget fight. J.D. Vance, in a joint statement, points out that in order to get this done, the debt ceiling will have to be raised – so it might as well be on Biden’s watch.

The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed.

Meanwhile, Congress is considering a spending bill that would give sweetheart provisions for government censors and for Liz Cheney. The bill would make it easier to hide the records of the corrupt January 6 committee—which accomplished nothing for the American people and hid security failures that happened that day. This bill would also give Congress a pay increase while many Americans are struggling this Christmas.

Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.

Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief.

THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!

It should be no surprise that Democrats and the White House are whining.

“Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hard-working Americans and create instability across the country,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

“Triggering a damaging government shutdown would hurt families who are gathering to meet with their loved ones and endanger the basic services Americans from veterans to Social Security recipients rely on,” Jean-Pierre said. “A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word.”

Hakeem Jeffries is now claiming that House Democrats won’t vote on a clean CR.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) suggested Wednesday that Democrats will oppose any federal spending bill that strays from the bipartisan deal announced a day before, accusing GOP leaders of reneging on the agreement at risk of a government shutdown.

In a brief statement, Jeffries invoked the growing conservative outcry over the negotiated continuing resolution (CR) — including opposition from President-elect Trump — and warned Republicans that they will “own” the economic and political fallout if a shutdown occurs.

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support,” Jeffries posted on social platform X. “You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.”

Except… that’s not how it works. If the bill that comes forward is a clean CR, and Democrats reject it because they didn’t get their pay raise, then the DEMOCRATS are going to own the shutdown. At the end of Joe Biden’s term. And all because they want their pig-in-a-blanket budget, complete with a pay raise.

"If you don't give us everything we want, we'll vote down your clean CR" is *Democrats* threatening to shut the government down.

If they'd like to do that, that's their choice. The GOP should pass a clean bill and let them own it.

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 18, 2024

But wait, you say. The media will blame Republicans, because the media always blames Republicans!

So what? The power of the mainstream media is broken. They know that, which is why they are screaming so loudly about Elon Musk being the puppetmaster of Trump right now. So, “Orange Hitler” is just a puppet of Elon Musk now? And last I checked, Joe Biden is still sitting in the Oval Office, and Kamala Harris is still vice president. Do either of them, um, plan to WORK for the next month, or have we all just given up on that idea?

Remember, even if the government shuts down, federal employees will still get paid once the government is magically re-opened again. Their paychecks are delayed, not disappeared. It’s time for Republicans, especially Speaker Johnson, to grow a spine, and put the clean CR on the table. If the Democrats reject that, it will be on their heads.

Featured image via Gage Skidmore on Flickr, cropped, CC BY-SA 2.0