Your Republican Congress, ladies and gentlemen.
Republican lawmakers were hammering out a stop-gap deal Wednesday to avert a weekend government shutdown of the federal government this weekend, setting aside a long-sought disaster aid package for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters.
Frustrations are rising among officials in Houston and Austin over the inaction. As Texas officials feared, an $81 billion storm relief bill passed by the House in December continues to languish amid congressional brinkmanship over a wider budget agreement, with Republicans insisting on funding President Donald Trump’s border wall and Democrats holding out for a deal to protect young immigrants from deportation.
A spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the standoff a disappointment.
“The governor has been in frequent contact with leaders in Congress and the administration advocating the necessity for funding to rebuild Texas,” said the spokeswoman, Ciara Matthews. “He has received assurance after assurance. Yet every day that goes by without funding is another day that Texans who have been upended by Hurricane Harvey go without the resources needed to rebuild their lives.”
With time running out on a midnight Friday deadline to keep the lights on in Washington — the third since last September — GOP leaders unveiled a plan Tuesday night to pass another stop-gap funding measure until February 16.
With most Democrats expected to reject the plan, GOP leaders were whipping up support Wednesday to pass the funding extension with Republican votes alone. It remained uncertain, though, whether the plan could win the support of conservative Freedom Caucus members and defense hawks pushing for a full year of military spending.
Freedom Caucus Leader Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, sounded a skeptical note Tuesday night, telling Capitol Hill reporters, “There’s not enough support to pass it with GOP-only votes in the House.”
The Republicans don’t need any Democratic help to pass a bill to keep the government funded, as they have the majority in both houses of Congress. Except they do need Democratic help because they’re a bunch of dysfunctional lunatics who can’t tie their own shoes without help. Enough members of their caucus won’t vote for anything non-destructive to prevent them from being able to get stuff done. You know what you’d get with a Democratic Congress? Not this. Being functional and keeping the lights on is what Democrats do. Oh, and providing disaster aid in a timely fashion, they do that too. It’s something they believe in, you know? Just something to keep in mind.
Democrats are as stupid as Republicans in their own way. Look st how little Obama managed to get passed with a majority in both houses.
Ross, Obama and the Democratic Congress got a lot more done than you remember:
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2012/01/03/it-depends-on-the-meaning-of-nothing/
https://newrepublic.com/article/99154/obama-accomplishment-financial-regulation-student-loan-public-works
You think the Republicans will come close to that?
Yet, they could never pass a comprehensive immigration reform. Funny you forgot to mention that, Charles.
I didn’t say they did everything, I just said they did a lot, and that to claim they did nothing was not true. Immigration reform did pass the House, by the way, and it got 55 votes in the Senate. The fact that several Democratic Senators joined most of the Republicans in not voting for cloture is a disgrace, no question. But again, my claim was that they did a lot, not that they did everything.
“The Republicans don’t need any Democratic help to pass a bill to keep the government funded, as they have the majority in both houses of Congress.”
In order to pass a budget, doesn’t that require 60 votes in the Senate?
And one other thought…..the congress critters that are willing to hold the government hostage to get a “clean DACA bill” passed should be required to register as foreign agents.
Dick Durbin: Referencing his “shitholes” guarantee about Trump’s migration meeting, he went on, “I comprehend what happened. I remain behind each word that I said as far as that gathering. I’m centered around one thing — not that gathering — but rather on ensuring that the individuals who are being secured by DACA and qualified for the DREAM Act have a future in America. I am centered around that full time.”
Thinking of sending Lamb some money, another D victory may be in the making.
Trump will soon be facing money laundering charges, wonder what all his adoring fans will think of him?
Kuff, those lists are pretty minor overall, especially since ACA was so poorly written and implemented. If the Dems were as competent as you implied, ACA would not be the failure it turned out to be, with premiums soaring for every self employed person I know, and coverage turning to total crap.
I don’t think the R’s will do much that’s effective either, which is why I didn’t vote for either party’s presidential nominee.
The question seems to be which party is the least incompetent. There are only two choices, I know some people would argue that that are other choices, but those third parties have as much chance as a snowball in an oven.
Imo, they all suck. Even the Libertarians are striking a nerve with me now.
Hey, how about that Harvey aide. You know, the point of this post.
Bill:
The Harvey aid isn’t coming, because illegal immigrants are more important than American citizens trying to recover from tragedy. All people are equal, but some are more equal than others.