GOP battling resumes over Speaker's foreign aid plans
Saturday votes expected on aid for Israel, Ukraine
Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for April 18, 2024:
Biden endorses GOP foreign aid bills.
Speaker Johnson: “let the chips fall where they may.”
Senate quickly dismisses Mayorkas impeachment charges.
GOP BATTLING. It’s happening again. Republicans in Congress descended into a new round of party infighting on Wednesday as House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a series of foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, with a price tag of $95 billion. "It is a major failure, a major disappointment," said Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the head of the House Freedom Caucus, as some conservatives quickly denounced the effort.
GOP CRITICS. "Apparently, Speaker Johnson has decided that the $1.9 trillion deficit created by his 2-step omnibus isn’t quite big enough," said Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH). "It’s all a cover for left-leaning Republicans and completely leftist Democrats,” declared Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA).
BORDER. Critics of the Speaker were especially incensed that he did not try to force Democrats to accept major border policy changes in exchange for the aid plans. "The Speaker surrendered yet again," said Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA). "No, I don't have confidence in the Speaker," said Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
OUSTER. The details spurred new talk about getting rid of a second GOP Speaker. "People are really done with Johnson’s BS," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). "This is a referendum on the Republican establishment and all future leaders of our party."
AID BILLS. For those who want to dig into the details of these bills, here is a link to a GOP summary of what's in those measures. If you want bill text, you can read the measures for Israel - Ukraine - and Taiwan.
SPEAKER. Amid the latest GOP turmoil, Johnson defended his decision to put forward a foreign aid package which could cost him his leadership post. "My philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may," the Speaker told reporters. "If I operated out of fear of a motion to vacate, I would never be able to do my job."
TIMING. But the Speaker really didn’t explain why he waited months to finally release this plan, which wasn’t that much different than an aid package approved in February by the Senate. “I'm a Reagan Republican, I believe in the concept of peace through strength,” Johnson said at a news conference.
UKRAINE. Johnson further incensed many in his own party by publicly expressing his support for aid to Ukraine. "I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do," the Speaker said. "To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine, than American boys."
PROCESS. Johnson’s plan is for an open amendment process, with votes on the aid bills expected on Saturday night. There is no way that these measures can pass with only Republican votes. And that will certainly lead to even more recriminations within the House GOP.
DEMOCRATS. While House Democratic leaders were withholding final judgment on the foreign aid package from the Speaker, all you had to do was look to the White House for guidance. "I strongly support this package to get critical support to Israel and Ukraine," President Biden said in a written statement. "The House must pass the package this week."
MEETING. House Democrats will meet behind closed doors this morning to talk about their options, especially the question of whether they will help the Speaker move this package through the House Rules Committee and past procedural objections on the House floor.
JEFFRIES. "We haven't had that conversation as a caucus, and so we're going to have that discussion," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. But it seemed obvious where things were going. "I think this is a heavy moment for the Congress, for the country, and for the free world," Jeffries added.
PROCEDURE. It would be highly unusual for Democrats to help the GOP in the Rules Committee or on the House floor - but in this situation, the calculus seems pretty simple to understand. The goal for Democrats is to get the full House to approve this aid money ASAP. And they seem ready to help the Speaker do that.
HALLWAYS. The vibe in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was a familiar one - House Republicans are so badly fractured that they aren’t really a political party in a functioning sense.
CHIPPED BEEF. "I take Mike (Johnson) at his word that he's doing the best he can with the circumstances he’s got in front of us - I just don't think he's landing where he needs to land," said Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who refused to say if he thought Johnson needed to resign.
SAY WHAT. Meanwhile, Democrats are sitting on the sidelines with their mouths wide open in disbelief. "None of this makes any sense to me," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). "What the hell has happened to the Republican Party?" asked McGovern, who labeled the GOP an 'absolute train wreck.'
JOE CANNON. Last night, the Rules Committee was unable to move forward on a border security bill put forward by the Speaker - because of GOP opposition. That is the Speaker’s committee!! It’s just nuts to think that Republicans are fighting each other like they aren’t even in the same party.
GRAND OLD PARTY. I ask this question seriously. Are we watching the disintegration of the Republican Party in Congress right now?
MAYORKAS. The Senate impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lasted only three hours on Wednesday, as Democrats stuck together and voted to dismiss the two articles of impeachment against the Biden Cabinet official. The votes meant the trial ended without any debate, evidence, or arguments from House prosecutors.
PLOT TWIST. Instead of voting to table (kill) the two charges against Mayorkas, Majority Leader Schumer threw a curveball at Republicans - and used the same procedural tool tried by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to dismiss impeachment charges against Donald Trump in 2021 - by making a point of order that the charges were unconstitutional.
VOTES. After some wrangling and a series of procedural votes, the Senate voted 51-48 to dismiss the first charge with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voting 'Present.' The second charge fell on a party line vote of 51-49. By an identical vote, the Senate then adjourned the trial.
GOP. Republicans were furious, as they demanded a full trial for Mayorkas. "The American people want to see accountability and transparency," said Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). "The American people deserve to hear the evidence," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
SADDLE UP. Republicans wasted little time attacking vulnerable Senate Democrats over the truncated trial. "It’s clear that Senator Tester is all hat and no cattle when it comes to standing against illegal immigration," Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) said of Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) - in a battle of westerners.
BACK TO WORK. Mayorkas himself will be back on Capitol Hill this morning for more testimony, as he appears before the Senate Homeland Security panel. Even with the charges dismissed, illegal immigration remains a weak spot for Democrats - nothing has changed on that front.
OBJECTION. Maybe the dumbest tactical move in the wrangling over Mayorkas was by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), who refused to go along with an offer from Senate Democrats to allow for up to three hours of Senate floor debate on Mayorkas, plus votes on a series of GOP procedural motions.
NO DEBATE. "The Senate is obligated to hold a full impeachment trial, and I fought on the floor to get that full trial," Schmitt said. The objection might have made for good press for the Missouri Republican, but it squeezed his fellow GOP Senators, who had no real way to make their case on the Senate floor.
JANUARY 6. A House panel heard testimony on Wednesday about why there was such a delay in the Pentagon getting National Guard troops to the Capitol on Jan. 6. The picture painted by witnesses who were part of the Guard that day was one of frustration as they watched the Capitol being attacked - and confusion that it took so long to authorize their involvement.
D.C. GUARD. "We waited for hours just two miles east of the Capitol building absolutely frustrated, knowing our Capitol had been breached, and not understanding why we had not received the authorization to respond," said Michael Brooks who served as a top aide to the Commanding General of the D.C. Guard.
WHISTLEBLOWERS. The witnesses on Wednesday also took aim at the story told by the Inspector General of the Pentagon about how the military responded on Jan. 6, basically saying it was a whitewash which was intended to protect senior military leaders.
PENTAGON. "The D.C. National Guard was ready to help and assist the Capitol Police, but we were not allowed to do our job due to paralyzed decision-making by the Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy," said Army National Guard Captain Timothy Nick.
TROOPS. Democrats again blasted the hearing as part of a broader GOP effort to undermine the work of the Jan. 6 committee. "There is a notion that exists that President Trump ordered or pushed for 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of Jan. 6," said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY). "It's been debunked repeatedly.”
MEDICAL. Press reports in New Jersey on Wednesday had grim news about Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ), who suffered a heart attack last week. The New Jersey Globe website reported that 11 days later - Payne was still hospitalized - and still unconscious.
STATEMENT. "Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. suffered a cardiac episode based on complications from his diabetes last week," his office said in a written statement. "Today, he is in stable condition at a local hospital and continues to be under doctor’s care. While we hope for a full recovery, we ask everyone to keep him in your prayers.”
RAP SHEET. A Tennessee man who pleaded guilty to assaulting police on Jan. 6 has been sentenced to 20 months in prison. Joshua Portlock used a large piece of plywood to press against a line of police outside the Capitol. The feds say Portlock wore 'olive green tactical gloves with black knuckle protectors’ that day.
FAFO. In sentencing briefs, Portlock’s lawyers acknowledged the backlash it caused their client. "As a result of his involvement in the January 6 riot, his arrest thereafter, and the publicity this case garnered in the community, Mr. Portlock lost a lucrative career at Mitsubishi Motors."
MUSE OF HISTORY. April 18, 1906. The business of Congress was interrupted on this date by reports of a giant earthquake on the West Coast. "The messages that have been coming from San Francisco in the past hour or two are of the most appalling nature," Rep. Julius Kahn of California said on the House floor. At Kahn's urging, the House quickly passed a measure ordering the military to help the region with tents and other relief supplies.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House convenes at 9 am.
The Senate meets at 12 noon.
Check President Biden’s schedule.
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"I ask this question seriously. Are we watching the disintegration of the Republican Party in Congress right now?" Yes we are. The Republican Party is more like two separate parties that just don't want to work together. They would rather sabotage each other than to work together.
In sentencing briefs, Portlock’s lawyers acknowledged the backlash it caused their client. "As a result of his involvement in the January 6 riot, his arrest thereafter, and the publicity this case garnered in the community, Mr. Portlock lost a lucrative career at Mitsubishi Motors." - to which we all should say tough shit, loser.