GOP goes old school on House floor

Democrats lose seven offshore drilling votes

Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for January 27, 2023:

• The FairTax becomes daily fodder for Democrats.

• Romney: Trump is the 2024 GOP favorite.

• Biden nominee goes viral for the wrong reasons.

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HOUSE FLOOR. The House turned back the clock on Thursday, as for the first time since 2016, there was a bill on the floor which was open to any amendments. To procedural nerds like this reporter - it was a welcome change. "If this practice continues, it’s a big step toward restoring representative government," said former Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI).

• OIL AND GAS. The open amendment process came on a GOP bill to unlock more federal lands for oil and gas drilling - if a President releases oil from strategic U.S. reserves. For many Republicans, it was a chance to deliver a rebuke directly to President Biden.

• GOP. "The President’s decision to exploit the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to cover up his own energy crisis was nothing short of a political stunt," said Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN). "The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is designed for emergencies," added Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).

• SUPPLY. "We should be unleashing American energy on all fronts," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). "Gas prices are still surging upward." The average price of a gallon of gas is up 40 cents in the last month to $3.50.

• VETO. Final passage of the bill is expected today - but it's already under a veto threat, as the White House argues the restrictions on U.S. strategic reserves would result in 'more oil supply shortages and higher gas prices.’

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OFFSHORE DRILLING. One big story line last night was on offshore oil and gas exploration. In a series of close votes, the House rejected seven different plans from Democrats to bar new drilling off of California, Oregon, Washington State, Virginia, and New England. But the outcome was different for the Southeast.

• SEC. The House okayed plans from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) to prevent new drilling in areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida, as well as the Atlantic coast off South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

• MACE. "This is what nonpartisanship can look like," Mace said after the House voted 389-42 for her plan. It would leave in place a ban on new oil and gas exploration approved by Donald Trump just before the 2020 elections.

• DEMS. Meanwhile, Democrats wanted more. "I’m disappointed that all but one Florida Republican voted against my amendment to permanently ban oil drilling off of the beautiful coastline of Florida," said Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL).

• MRS. GREENE OF GEORGIA. The first amendment vote for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) did not go well. Her bid to expand plans for domestic drilling was defeated 418-14. One of the 14 was Rep. George Santos (R-NY).

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ENTITLEMENTS. Last weekend, Donald Trump warned Republicans in Congress not to try to balance the budget by making cuts in Social Security and Medicare. And in recent days, we're starting to see some leading GOP lawmakers make that same case to avoid what's often referred to as the 'third rail' of American politics.

• NO THANKS. "Medicare and Social Security are a bright line for me," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told reporters on Thursday, saying he would oppose any talk of cuts in those safety net programs. "I mean, those are programs that working people have paid into all of their lives," Hawley said.

• MCCARTHY. After a meeting this week with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said McCarthy had indicated that Social Security was off the table. "Take that off the table and then start looking at ways of efficiencies," Manchin told reporters.

• BUDGET. If you take Social Security and Medicare off the table, you’re mainly left with the ‘discretionary’ budget, which is $1.7 trillion this year. Half of that is the Pentagon. You could cut out the other half and still not balance the budget.

• LEGISLATIVE CHICKEN. I really don't like what I'm seeing right now in the political arena on the debt limit. This reminds me of 2011, when there was almost a default. There will have to be negotiations - hopefully sooner, rather than at the last minute. More in my column this week for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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TRUMP. After announcing his candidacy for President back in mid-November, Donald Trump has done almost nothing on the campaign trail. That changes this weekend, as Trump heads to both New Hampshire and South Carolina - two of the early states in the 2024 race for the White House.

• FRONTRUNNER. Other than Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida - there is no one else in the GOP who can give Trump any trouble at this point. "Trump continues to have the most clear path to becoming the nominee,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). "I think he's the prohibitive favorite.”

• 2024. I have to agree with Romney, and it's one reason why I continue to be puzzled by the messages I get each week from people who tell me to stop reporting about Trump. To paraphrase Samuel Clemens, reports of Trump's political death are greatly exaggerated.

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GOLDEN STATE. The race for U.S. Senate in California got even hotter on Thursday as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced his candidacy. "Our democracy is at great risk," Schiff said in his announcement. "Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else."

• MARQUIS NAMES. Already in the race is Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) may also get in. Remember - there is no Democratic Primary, because California throws all candidates into one primary election - and the top two candidates go to November. Could it be two Democrats?

• GOP. Republicans immediately mocked Schiff for making a fundraising pitch for his Senate bid on TikTok, noting that TikTok is considered by many to be an intelligence risk - and that Schiff used to be the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

• CASUALTY LIST. Schiff is already the fifth House member to announce a 2024 bid for U.S. Senate, joining Porter, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Rep. Alex Mooney (D-WV).

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BORDER BATTLE. Texas Republicans sent a letter this week to the White House asking that the Lone Star State be reimbursed for the costs of dealing with a porous southern border. "Texans are united in calling for President Biden to take the border crisis seriously," said Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX).

• LETTER. "We urge you to work with the Texas delegation to pay Texas back for the resources expended," the GOP lawmakers wrote. "Further, we also request a meeting with you to discuss the border crisis and the solutions proposed by Members of the Texas delegation."

• ENCORE. Listening to Texas lawmakers seemed familiar - so I went back in my story archives. On February 3, 1993 - 30 years ago next week - I covered California Gov. Pete Wilson (R) on Capitol Hill, as he argued the feds should reimburse his state for the costs of illegal immigration. Not much has changed.

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REGULAR ORDER. Let's continue that train of thought. I had my first job on Capitol Hill in 1980. My newsletter gives you access to someone who has seen all sorts of political battles since the Carter Administration. Subscribe to ‘Regular Order’ - ask me questions - and feel like you have a front row seat on Capitol Hill. Or, if you don't want to subscribe, you can click here to buy me a cup of coffee.

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FAIRTAX. I have covered the 'FairTax' for over 25 years. It had very committed followers on talk radio, but was never in the mainstream political debate. So it's been crazy to watch in the past few weeks as Democrats have grabbed onto the FairTax and made it part of their daily policy attacks on Republicans.

• BIDEN. Leading the charge has been President Biden, who skewered the FairTax and the GOP multiple times this week. "They want to raise taxes on working and middle class people," Biden said of the FairTax, which replaces income taxes with a 30 percent national sales tax.

• DEMS. On Capitol Hill, Democrats followed suit. "There is nothing “fair” about a tax that punishes average families for buying essential goods," said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.

• BACKERS. Supporters of the FairTax - there are only two dozen in the House - have clearly been outgunned. "Democrats are losing their minds lying about my proposal to eliminate income taxes," said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA). But Carter can't match the bully pulpit of the President.

• MESSAGES. And before you flood me with messages claiming the 30 percent sales tax figure is wrong - that's what the FairTax people have on their own website. "What will the rate of the sales tax be at the retail counter? 30 percent."

• MEAN TWEETS. As usual, simply reporting the news about the FairTax brought out a lot of nasty comments. "You can't talk," one person wrote, referencing my inability to speak. "I hope you can't write soon."

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JUDGING. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) is well known for his aw-shucks-Foghorn-Leghorn demeanor. And it tripped up a Biden judicial nominee this week - when Kennedy asked Charnelle Bjelkengren to describe Article V of the Constitution, which deals with amendments to the Constitution.

• ANSWER. "Article V is not coming to mind at the moment," said Bjelkengren. "How about Article II?" Kennedy then asked, which covers the Executive Branch. "Neither is Article II," said Bjelkengren, as their exchange went viral.

• KENNEDY. This is not the first time Kennedy has stumped a nominee with some rudimentary legal queries. Back in 2017, one judicial nominee from Donald Trump got derailed by questions from Kennedy like, "Can you tell me what the Daubert Standard is?"

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NEWSMAX. Republicans are raising the specter of Congressional hearings - not about inflation - but about DirecTV dropping the conservative Newsmax channel. "I think public hearings should be part of this broader effort," said Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), as Republicans claim this is a giant liberal big business conspiracy against the GOP.

• GARDEN STATE. “This is what happens in authoritarian regimes,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who also called for hearings. "It's three words, freedom of speech. This is constitutional rights," Van Drew argued.

• FREE SPEECH. But is this really about the Constitution? Remember - the First Amendment does not apply to private businesses.

• VIEWERSHIP. "Newsmax's average household audience is only 101,000 households," a DirecTV letter to GOP lawmakers stated. "That is 92 percent lower than Fox News." Newsmax wanted DirecTV to pay them money to carry the channel - DirecTV said it wasn't worth it.

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SENATE. Senators went home for the weekend on Thursday afternoon after taking a very tough vote on whether to designate this month as National Stalking Awareness Month. Why was that being voted on? Because the Senate still hasn't finalized its committees and passed what's known as an organizing resolution.

• GOP. One hang-up is that Republicans still haven't figured out their full committee slates, as the GOP is losing seats thanks to their weak showing in the 2020 Senate midterm elections.

• HOUSE. Committee assignments still aren't fully squared away in the House, either - but they're getting closer. It likely means Republicans will force a vote next week on the House floor to boot Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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KUDOS. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) drew applause for his work presiding over the House on Thursday evening, as he pushed lawmakers to complete 24 amendment votes in a little over 90 minutes. “Thank you for making the people’s House work,” Womack said to cheers. “Enjoy your dinner,” Womack added.

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MUSE OF HISTORY.  January 27, 1933.  With growing opposition to Prohibition, the House on this date voted to cut funds for a variety of federal enforcement efforts.  The plan banned wiretaps related to booze investigations, and blocked the use of undercover agents.  "The sending of the agents of the Government into speakeasies to become tanked on intoxicating liquors and then turn around and arrest the men whom they incited to a violation of the law is contemptible," said Rep. Malcolm Tarver of Georgia.

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LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House meets at 9 am.

The Senate is back on Monday.

President Biden’s daily schedule link.

Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree. Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com