U.S. Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-LA) reacts as he speaks with members of the media outside the Senate chamber, following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump (REUTERS)
President Donald Trump likes to brag about his supposed second term accomplishments, but in fact House Republicans are in such a chaotic state that they cannot get anything done.
“House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is struggling to get several pieces of must-pass legislation through his chamber,” reported MS NOW’s Steve Benen on Wednesday. “In other words, it is a day ending in ‘y’ on Capitol Hill under the ever dysfunctional, deeply unpopular GOP majority. What is remarkable about the straits in which Johnson finds himself this week, though, is not the fact that he is once again being buffeted by his caucus while up against the clock, but how routine it has become.”
Benen added, “Since becoming speaker, Johnson has become known for pulling last-minute wins that don’t exactly excite his team but at least are sufficient to forestall disaster. But beneath the shifting chaos engulfing the GOP’s slim majority this week is a much deeper problem: The House is stuck in neutral with no clear next step. And this time, even the pressure that normally produces results may not be enough to kick the legislature into gear.”
The journalist proceeded to mention how important Trump initiatives involving Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the annual farm bill and funding Homeland Security are in limbo because of the House GOP’s disorganization.
“It’s odd to think that the high point of Congress’ Tuesday was when the House paused in its drama to welcome King Charles III to address the legislators,” Benen concluded. “The reality that Johnson faces is that any step he takes to pass one of the items on his plate threatens to upend everything else. The result is a weird bit of frantic potential energy with no outlet, and with the president, usually the go-to to help drag the House GOP into line, nowhere to be found. It’s tough to tell what might finally end the House’s inertia, but until this, to paraphrase Isaac Newton, a legislature at rest will stay at rest without intervention from an outside force.”
Similar to MS NOW, Politico reported on Wednesday that “House Republicans this week face debates over three controversial pieces of make-or-break legislation: an attempt to extend government spy powers that expire Thursday, a farm bill that could have a major impact on the midterms and a budget resolution that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security. But after weeks and in some cases months of bitter argument, reports Politico, ‘House Republican leadership doesn’t appear to have the votes to advance anything.’”
In terms of the surveillance bill, critics claim that it will allow the government to engage in warrantless surveillance, with Senate Majority Leader Jim Thune (R-S.D.) saying that it would be “dead on arrival” in his chamber because of House Republican opposition.
“Our team has spent too much time with approximately 10 of our members who want compromises the other 210 don’t want,” Representative Don Bacon (R-N.E.) told Politico. “This is dysfunction.”