I had a conversation with a friend who is a veteran state legislator, who served three terms in the Maine State legislature many years ago. He understands the legislative process (served as Minority Leader) and the importance of solid, strong leadership, which appears to be sorely lacking on Capitol Hill, specifically in the McCarthy-led House.
Notes from our conversation:
They’re all guilty of sitting on their hands and doing nothing — leadership (Scalise,Stefanik, McCarthy, all the chairs of the committees and sub committees) have treaded water all year.
They should have been taking the roadmap from the Heritage Foundation on every line item in the budget in every agency and holding public hearings on each program and analyzing what works, what doesn’t work, what’s duplicated in other agencies, how to we consolidate, what to we trim, get rid of.
And then come up with proposed spending bills to be passed out of committee to a full vote in the House.
I blame leadership AND other members. Where have they been? Why weren’t they raising cain? Bringing house to grinding halt?
The process: (Before a bill goes to House Floor for a vote)
A bill first goes thru RULES committee – which sets up the procedure by which the bill can be considered on the House floor (example: 30 minutes for debate; only ten amendments will be allowed, 5 from each party; limited to 10 mins of floor debate).
Where have the conservatives been? Rep. Scott Perry was on w/ Maria Bartiromo who asked him “what have you been doing?” (She’s the only one who drills down, and follows up until she gets a real answer. Credit her for that.)
Perry proposed “We could not agree. Mainstreet is afraid to cut anything. Conservatives say we need draconian cuts.”
My friend’s take on what the Republicans should do:
“House should pass CR (Continuing Resolution) for 30 days that returns to pre-pandemic spending levels (8 percent haircut is our BS).
Then tell House members they are not going anywhere for next 30 days — 24/7 — no one leaves, to do the work now with 12 spending bills and pull out Heritage Foundation guidebook and use it.
We’ll tell American public this is what were doing, pass them, and then let the senate shut gov. it down.
They’re offering Byron Donalds’ 8% across the board cut, thinking the dems and senate will go along. It’s a fig leaf, a joke.”
Now, on to today’s War Room with Steve Bannon…
Cold Open
McCall shows his true colors supporting the clown Zalinski (and the Deep State corrupt holdings in Ukraine). And did you hear that elitist say that we “the populists are terrifying”? Moar winning!!!