GOP feud continues over Ukraine aid
Advice from resigning Republican: “Drink more, tweet less.”
Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for April 22, 2024:
Big week for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pence hits Trump on abortion.
Trump goes silent on Ukraine aid.
THIS WEEK. The House is out. The Senate will try to give final approval to a long-delayed foreign aid bill. Trump’s immunity case goes before the Supreme Court.
CONGRESS. The mudslinging and the mud wrestling continued on Sunday between Republicans in Congress, a day after strong bipartisan majorities approved a series of foreign aid packages in the House. On the Sunday shows and social media, GOP lawmakers lashed out at one another again in what's become an all-too familiar family feud.
SLANG. "I serve with some real scumbags," said Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) on CNN, taking aim at GOP critics of House Speaker Mike Johnson. "For some reason, these fringe people think as if they have the high ground. They do not," Gonzales said, as allies rallied behind Johnson.
JOHNSON. "I am so proud of the Speaker," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said on ABC's, "This Week," defending Johnson for supporting aid to Ukraine. "He went through a transformation. At the end of the day, a profile in courage is putting the nation above yourself. And that's when he did."
SENATE. The aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan is now before the Senate, where it should win final approval later this week. "I predict that you'll probably see a majority of Senate Republicans supporting this legislation," said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) on CBS's 'Face the Nation.'
DEBBIE DOWNER. Even though she backed off her threat to force a vote to get rid of the Speaker, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) continued to attack Johnson on Sunday, vowing to force a vote on his future at some point. "It's coming regardless of what Mike Johnson decides to do," Greene said on Fox Business.
GREENE. "Mike Johnson's speakership is over. He should do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process," Greene said. "If he doesn't do so he will be vacated."
JOHNSON RULE. The House Freedom Caucus publicly mocked Johnson as well, trying to coin a new term - the ‘Johnson Rule’ - which the group described as when “a Republican Speaker of the House repeatedly advances major legislation with more support from Democrats than his own party.”
FREEDOM CAUCUS. What is just so odd about the Freedom Caucus is that they aren’t anywhere near a majority of House Republicans. But they act like the rest of the GOP should bow down to their every legislative demand. Right now, it seems like the biggest target for some Republicans is other Republicans.
TRUMP. What do I find most puzzling about this fight among Republicans over sending aid to Ukraine? The silence of Donald Trump over the past few weeks. Think about that. Trump has stayed on the sidelines - not clearly saying whether he is for or against the plan which Speaker Johnson pushed through the House.
GALLAGHER. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) resigned from the Congress on Saturday after casting his final votes in the House on a package of foreign aid bills. In a statement inserted into the Congressional Record, Gallagher praised Speaker Mike Johnson for facing down those Republicans who wanted him to resign.
REMARKS. "I firmly believe the Speaker has emerged on the other side of this stronger and a statesman," Gallagher said, praising the foreign aid package which drew threats to oust Johnson. "Any Motion to Vacate will fail," Gallagher added.
DRINK MORE, TWEET LESS. The Wisconsin Republican also had a simple piece of advice for his colleagues:
"If there’s a lesson in that for my successor or any of my colleagues it’s after a grueling day of a thousand meetings, still make the effort to get that beer with a member you don’t know that well. Drink more, tweet less. Get to know your colleagues in real life before trashing them on social media."
TRASHING. Not trashing your colleagues in real life is easier said than done for GOP lawmakers. We saw more of that among Republicans on Sunday, as Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) bitterly attacked Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) Sunday during an interview on CNN.
RUNOFF. Gonzales took the opportunity to openly accuse Gaetz of paying ‘minors to have sex with him at drug parties.’ Gonzales didn’t stop there. "Bob Good endorsed my primary opponent, a known neo-Nazi," said Gonzales, referring to YouTube star Brandon Herrera.
CRANE. All of that didn't sit well with Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ). "This is such BS," Crane tweeted on Sunday. "Brandon, add me to your list of endorsements," Crane wrote to the opponent of Gonzales. "We will never save the country with guys like Tony."
TRUMP. Opening arguments are expected to start today in Donald Trump's porn star hush money trial in New York. It's just one of many courtroom venues where Trump and his lawyers will be this week - culminating in Supreme Court arguments on Thursday about his claim of 'total immunity' from prosecution.
TRUTH SOCIAL. You could tell that Supreme Court session was on Trump's mind over the weekend, as he wrote a series of posts on his Truth Social website about why he should not be facing federal felony charges related to Jan. 6.
POSTS. "A President of the United States must have Full Immunity in order to properly function and do what has to be done for the good of our Country," Trump wrote. Lower courts have rejected his immunity claims.
SCOTUS. This is the final week for oral arguments in this term for the Supreme Court. The Justices today will hear a case about criminal penalties for homeless people sleeping outside. Wednesday features a big case from Idaho about abortion. And then the Trump immunity case is on Thursday.
ABORTION. Donald Trump found himself targeted in a New York Times op-ed this weekend by his own Vice President - over the issue of abortion - irked by Trump’s recent declaration that abortion laws should simply be left up to each state. "Donald Trump Has Betrayed the Pro-Life Movement," bellowed the headline from Mike Pence.
LIMIT. Pence used his column to endorse a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. "Contrary to Democrats’ claims, prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks is entirely reasonable," Pence wrote, as he then turned on Trump.
RETREAT. "I was deeply disappointed when Mr. Trump stated that he considered abortion to be a state-only issue and would not sign a bill prohibiting late-term abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy," said Pence. "When our leaders aren’t firmly committed to life, others will waver too."
LAND USE. A House panel will hold a field hearing today in Utah, as Republicans lend their support to local officials who have clashed with the feds over land use restrictions in the Beehive State. This hearing is focused on the fast-growing area of St. George, Utah, less than two hours northeast of Las Vegas.
FEDS. At issue is a proposed highway which would run through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. That was approved by the feds in the last few days of the Trump Administration - but was hit with a flurry of legal challenges.
LEGAL. It's not hard to tell where the GOP comes down on this matter: "Federal Overreach Fundamentally Upends the Western Way of Life," reads a committee memo for today's hearing.
QUALITY OF LIFE. While most of us on Capitol Hill were caught up in the drama over aid for Ukraine and Israel, the House Armed Services Committee unveiled a bipartisan plan to improve the quality of life for active duty troops. "It is vital that we act now to improve the quality of life for our military families," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE).
IMPROVEMENTS. The bill would increase basic pay, offer improved child care, military housing, and health care, plus more support for military spouses. "Servicemembers should never have to worry about making ends meet," said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
BASE TEXT. The 35-page bill is straightforward, but there is a twist. This measure will be used as the base text for the 2025 defense policy bill, which the panel will start writing in late May. It's obvious what both parties want the focus of that measure to be for next year.
RAP SHEET. A Virginia man has been arrested on charges of assaulting police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Nathaniel Noyce was part of a group of rioters who forced their way through the East Front doors. Video footage shows him grappling with one officer, ripping off his visor, and then hitting the cop in the face.
MUSE OF HISTORY. April 22, 1886. On this date, a plan to spend $15,000 to help build a statue commemorating the landing of the pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts stirred trouble on the Senate floor. "I have uniformly opposed appropriations for these monuments," said Sen. Francis Cockrell of Missouri, who boasted about also opposing a monument at Yorktown in Virginia. Senators ignored Cockrell and approved the plan to help pay for the statue.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House is back for votes on April 29.
The Senate returns on Tuesday.
Check President Biden’s schedule.
Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree.
Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
If you want to say ‘thanks’ - you can buy me a cup of coffee.
I am reminded on a daily basis how violent January 6th was because of your rap sheet. Thank you for keeping us focused. Our National lack of long term attention is showing.
Thanks for working all these consecutive days Jamie. After the Senate leaves you should/could take a weekday off. :)