More spending chaos for House GOP
Freedom Caucus wants Speaker to renege on topline deal
Also in today’s ‘Regular Order’ for January 12, 2024:
Mayorkas spurns House impeachment hearing.
One week to yet another shutdown deadline.
GOP plans contempt vote next week for Hunter Biden.
SPENDING. Congress started this week on a positive note, with a bipartisan agreement on how much the feds should spend for 2024. Congress ends the week with that deal in some trouble, as Speaker Mike Johnson faces stern criticism from GOP conservatives. And that means a partial government shutdown starting a week from today can’t be ruled out.
DEADLINE. Once again, it’s the Freedom Caucus balking at a deal cut by GOP leaders, with some openly calling on Congress to use a shutdown as leverage for action on border security and the budget. "I have probably 35 colleagues who want to shut down," said Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), referring to the Freedom Caucus. "We'll see how the other 400 react."
REPEAT. If you think you've read this story before - you have. It was last June that Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to a budget and debt limit deal with President Biden, which basically froze federal spending for two years. But the Freedom Caucus didn't like it, engineered a rebellion, and the House GOP backed away from the deal. Is this a repeat?
MEETINGS. Reporters were massed outside of Speaker Mike Johnson's offices in the Capitol again yesterday, as key conservatives made their case inside against the topline deal. "What I think we ought to do is to fund the government at a level that cuts our spending year over year," said Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the head of the Freedom Caucus.
NO WAY. "It's a bad deal," declared Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as she emerged from the Speaker's office. "So, he's going to have to go back to the drawing table." "You have to shut down the border or we will shut down the government," added Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
AYFKM. But the opposition to the deal - and to Speaker Johnson - has really stuck in the craw of many Republicans who are fed up with the Freedom Caucus. "They're not happy with anything," said Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA). "The Speaker is doing the best he can with the situation that he's got."
QUIT IT. The message from swing seat Republicans was even more blunt. "To my colleagues who insist on continually undermining our Majority and throwing temper tantrums every time they don’t get their way — stop whining and show that you are capable of governing," said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
THE SPEAKER. What did Speaker Johnson have to say about talk that he might be thinking about reworking the topline deal? Not much. "I've made no commitments," Johnson told reporters in the Capitol after his meeting with Freedom Caucus members. "We're having a thoughtful conversation about funding options and priorities.”
SAME OLE SAME OLE. If you thought the change in the calendar would bring an end to GOP infighting in Congress - think again. "It may be a brand new year," said Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), "but it's kind of the same old song and dance." That’s my column this week for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
ACROSS THE AISLE. You don't have to have much of an imagination to come up with pithy quotes from Democrats about this latest GOP soap opera - so, we'll leave it to their House leader. "MAGA extremists are turning this Congress into a spectacle and a national embarrassment," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
HOUSE GOP TURMOIL. I cannot stress enough how bizarre things are at this point on Capitol Hill within the GOP. Republicans obviously have the majority in the House - but they aren't really governing. They're just sort of lurching from legislative crisis to legislative crisis - much of it caused by the protests of the Freedom Caucus and the paralysis caused by their refusal to close ranks.
INTERNAL DISSENT. Differences within a party are nothing new. What I'm trying to get across to everyone is just how unprecedented it is for a majority party to be stopped by a group of rebels from within *their own party.*
LAST CONGRESS. Remember - Democrats had the exact same thin majority in the 117th Congress. Despite internal disagreements, they stuck together and cranked out all sorts of big bills - the complete opposite of this Congress.
HOUSE FLOOR. The House did get back to legislative work yesterday, as the Freedom Caucus backed off yet another blockade. The group stopped House floor business in June, July, September, October, November, and now in January. It hasn’t mattered who was Speaker of the House.
EXPERTS. "Any hope a new Speaker would break the impasse between the conference and (the Freedom Caucus) is gone,” said Josh Huder, a Congressional expert at Georgetown University. "House Republicans are not functioning like a party.”
SENATE. With no indication from House Republicans about how they will avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer started the procedural wheels turning yesterday on a House-passed bill - which would be amended to allow for a short-term funding extension.
NEXT WEEK. Schumer set a first procedural vote for next Tuesday evening (Monday is a federal holiday). Any one Senator could delay action on that CR well past the Friday night funding deadline, and cause a partial shutdown.
LEGISLATIVE NERD NOTE. The bill being used is H.R. 2872, which would expand the use of electronic Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps - annual permits sold by the feds to those who hunt migratory waterfowl.
REVENUES. We all know that spending bills can only originate in the House. So, how can the Senate use this bill? Because it raises revenues. "Under current law, amounts collected from the sale of duck stamps are deposited into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund and are recorded in the budget as revenues.”
REGULAR ORDER. Things just keep getting crazier on Capitol Hill - and if you’re not getting my newsletter each day, you are missing out. “I am glad to pay for your service to the nation,” one reader wrote this week. Since I can’t go on TV or radio to publicize my work, you can help me out by signing up, giving someone a gift subscription, or you can always just buy me a drink.
IMPEACHMENT. Compared to the fireworks related to Hunter Biden's surprise appearance on Wednesday, a first hearing this week about the possible impeachment of the Secretary of Homeland Security was calm and uneventful. "This is a solemn occasion," said Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who is leading the effort. "I wish these proceedings were not necessary."
MAYORKAS. Green said yesterday that he had originally planned to bring Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in for questioning next week. But Mayorkas refused to accept the invite. The GOP will still hold a second hearing.
GREEN. "It’s certainly telling that one of the primary excuses Secretary Mayorkas gave us for declining to appear next week is that he must host a delegation of Mexican officials," Green said.
NEXT WEEK. It's not clear how long Republicans will wait to vote on actual impeachment articles against Mayorkas. The truly odd part is that it comes as he is helping to negotiate a border security deal with Senators. Even if he is impeached, the Senate is very unlikely to remove him from office.
HUNTER. Speaking of Hunter Biden, he was in Los Angeles on Thursday, entering a plea of not guilty to nine federal tax evasion charges. A trial date was set for June of this year. The President's son also faces a separate indictment in Delaware on charges that he made false statements when buying a firearm.
CONTEMPT. Congressional Republicans will keep pressing their focus on Hunter Biden's influence peddling - as they are planning a House vote next week - to find him in contempt of Congress, for defying a committee subpoena and refusing to testify before lawmakers behind closed doors.
SCHEDULE. The House is scheduled to work next week, and then take a week off. But that would certainly change if there is a partial government shutdown starting on Jan. 20.
YEMEN STRIKES. Last night's U.S. military action against Houthi targets in Yemen produced an interesting variety of reactions on Capitol Hill. A number of Democrats strongly criticized President Biden for launching the attacks - while many Republicans praised the strikes on a militant group tied to Tehran.
GOP LEADERS. "I welcome U.S. and coalition operations against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists," said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. "I am hopeful these operations mark an enduring shift in the Biden Administration's approach to Iran and its proxies." Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson called the attacks, 'long overdue.'
DEMS. Among more progressive Democrats, there was strong opposition. "These airstrikes have NOT been authorized by Congress," tweeted Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR). "The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike," said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who claimed he 'would never have believed' President Biden would order such an attack.
SECDEF. "Today's strikes targeted sites associated with the Houthis' unmanned aerial vehicle, ballistic and cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a written statement. "If necessary, we will take follow-on actions to protect U.S. forces."
BEHIND THE SCENES. Tourists got an extra treat on their tour of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, watching reporters pursue members of the House Freedom Caucus coming out of the Speaker's office. Here is Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) walking through Statuary Hall, the old House Chamber from 1819-1859. The statue with the clock in the upper center of the picture - depicts Clio, the Muse of History.
RAP SHEET. My note in Thursday's newsletter about a Maryland man arrested this week on Jan. 6 charges turned out to be newsworthy. That's because Carlos Ayala wasn't just some random guy at the Capitol. Earlier this year, Ayala was approved as a Republican member of the Maryland state Board of Elections. He resigned his post on Thursday morning.
SUNSHINE. A Florida man has been arrested on charges of assaulting police at the Capitol on Jan. 6. David Homol used a PVC pipe flagpole to repeatedly strike officers. He sent a text that night: "Today was not an antifa-inspired statement. It was totally done by angry Trump supporters."
MUSE OF HISTORY. January 12, 1818. The Senate on this date was embroiled in a debate about slavery, on whether to have a committee examine the idea of the U.S. joining other nations in ending the African slave trade. "What danger or inconvenience," asked Sen. James Burrill of Rhode Island, "could arise from referring the subject for investigation?" Southern Senators objected, and tried to strike out language about working with other nations against slavery - that lost 17 to 16.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House meets at 9 am.
The Senate returns on Tuesday.
Check President Biden’s schedule.
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Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
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The migratory hunting rev bill is a great share. I had wondered how the Senate could do it.
I could not figure out today’s acronym so I had to look it up only to find out “ SECDEF” was short for Secretary of Defense. You got me. Excellent column in the AJC.